


The Bats Celebrate Christmas

by AwkwardBlueFish



Series: Happy Holidays [2]
Category: Batfamily - Fandom, DC - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Batdad, Batfamily, Christmas, Christmas word challenge, Fluff, Gen, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 24,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21629104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardBlueFish/pseuds/AwkwardBlueFish
Summary: 1: Alfred bakes cookies2: Hot chocolate leads to betrayal3: Gotham was beautiful when it snows4: Damian decides to draw instead of decorating5: Bruce holds a charity event and Tim and his mum go6: Jason is Santa and Damian sits on his lap7: Jason is threatening the Santa’s on the street and Dick needs to stop8: Tim picks Damian up from school9: Jason and Tim see the ballball Damian made10: Alfred finds Damian asleep after making cards11: It’s cold when they’re apart but warm together12: Three of the bats play in the snow13: A Christmas tree, an elf hat and dancing14: A song is made up and Robin and Batman suffer15: Damian is supervised when baking16: Tim refuses to let go off Damian while he freezes17: Carols are playing and dancing happens18: Wrapping presents leads to a pillow war19: The family goes ice skating20: The bats go light spotting before patrol21: Damian has a Christmas play in the theatre22: The mayor has asked hero’s for a meet and greet23: Damian is scared of Christmas24: Damian awaits the ambushing Santa25: It’s Christmas Day!
Relationships: Everyone & Everyone
Series: Happy Holidays [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1171589
Comments: 160
Kudos: 296





	1. Aroma

**Author's Note:**

> This will be fun!

“I’m bored!” Stephanie whines and Jason considers strangling her with the ridiculous scarf Dick had gotten him. 

Damian, his now favourite brother, ditches the pillow at her that he was previously cuddling from the corner of the couch. It smacks her right in the face and muffled chocking sounds emit from Stephanie as she spits out her hair. 

“Suffer,” Jason declares smugly. Damian snickers and Jason sends him a thumbs up as Stephanie pulls her hair back to glare at them. She flips him off and Jason happily copies the action.

“That wasn’t necessary you gremlin.” She shoots at Damian and he just blinks at her with a deadpan expression. Jason marks his book and places it on the coffee table, this should be interesting. 

“You’ve complained that you’re bored for ten minutes without doing anything about it. It was absolutely necessary.” Damian declares drily and Jason nods and kicks his feet onto Damian’s thighs as he watches the show.

“Well I am!” Steph declares, puffing out her cheeks like a chipmunk. “You two are supposed to be entertaining me!”

Jason blinks before sending her a playful jeer. “We are not.” 

“It’s more like babysitting anyway.” The mumble has Jason hooting in laughter while his stomach stings like he did three hours of core muscle work outs. 

Stephanie’s jaw drops and Jason laughs harder while Damian full on giggles at her expression. He is so getting a copy of this from the security cameras. Maybe it’ll be his Christmas present for the others. 

“You little shit.” She grumbles, crossing her arms and scooting on her bottom so she’s facing away from them on the carpeted floor. 

“I think I got a stitch.” Grumbles Jason as he wheezes on the couch. So totally worth it.

“Suffer.” Stephanie shoots back and Damian snickers again. Happily they flip each other off again. 

It’s silent for like a minute. Peaceful bliss. It never lasts in this family. “I’m bored!”

Jason groans and slams his head back against the arm rest of the chair attempting to give himself a concussion. Sadly his head just bounces and he manages to bite his tongue. “Why couldn’t I have stayed dead?” 

Damian puffs up his cheeks and lets it out with a pout. “Then you wouldn’t have met me and then you really would wish you stayed dead.” 

Stephanie full on howls as she throws herself onto her back, cackling up at them as Damian sends him a shit eating grin. 

“This family sucks,” Jason declares boldly, pouting at his two so called siblings. What is family? “Conspiracy theory: I’m actually dead and I’ve been sent to hell.”

Damian snorts and he quickly covers his mouth, cheeks going red. Stephanie is actually crying as she curls herself into a fatal position. Jason is so getting the footage of this. 

“As much as I appreciate all of you getting along, does it have to involve vulgar gestures?”

Stephanie chokes again on her hair and Damian perks up like a dog spotting a squirrel. Jason doesn’t blame him as the aroma of gingerbread cookies hit his senses like a train reck. 

“Sorry Alfie.” Stephanie mumbles, scratching at her neck as she pulls herself up into a sitting position. She sends him a sheepish grin.

Alfred nods and raises a brow at Jason, one hand easily holding a large tray of dozens of cookies. Jason coughs into his fist and rearranged himself so he’s sitting up properly. “Sorry.”

Alfred smiles and they relax. “Very well. Usually I would tell you to put ten dollars each in the swear jar,” cue eye rolls like the mature people they are, “but as that doesn’t seem to admonish you two I guess I’ll just take away five gingerbread cookies from the both of you.”

“Wait no!” Stephanie cries, launching herself at Alfreds feet. Alfred raises a brow, steps over her and hands Damian ten cookies. 

“Thank you.” Damian murmurs, already nibbling on a cookie shaped like a Christmas tree. 

“Alfred my man, why would you do this?” Jason asks, crawling off the couch to lay at his feet just like Stephanie.

Alfred actually chuckles. “I’m sure you know why master Jason.” He turns away, nodding at Stephanie and Damian. “Miss Stephanie, master Damian.”

“He’s a cruel man.” Stephanie cries and pouts at Damian who munches on a Batman shaped cookie. He stares at them with a smirk and Jason wisely decides he is no longer his favourite brother.

“Gremlin, give us some?” Jason bribes, smiling sickly sweetly with his teeth. He will fight for those cookies and he will win.

Damian pauses, blinks. Before ever so slowly he goes to his plate and brings up two cookies. 

“Thank you, thank you.” Stephanie chants, crawling forward. Jason refutes his statements from before.

“I love you, you wonderful brat!” Jason declares. 

Damian smiles and swallows his last cookie. A smirk slithers onto his face as he shoves the two into his mouth, smiles around crumbs and flips them off.

Stephanie gapes. Jason decides this is actually hell. They glance at each other before scrambling out of the room.

“Alfred!”

And if Alfred’s magic powers of knowing everything around the house suddenly stops, well, who can blame him? He’s a cruel man after all.


	2. Hot Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s winter and Jason is freezing. All he wants is Alfreds famous hot chocolate recipe. Too bad, he’s going to have to fight for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 23 more to go!

“It’s only the second day of winter and my butt cheeks are numb,” Jason declares as he prances into the room with a scowl.

Damian snorts from besides Tim while Tim just blinks at him slowly. “Too much information.” He deadpans, cradling the sweetly delicious hot chocolate in his palms. His fingers are no longer numb at least.

Huffing Jason walks into the kitchen and slouches on the other side of the counter, crossing his arms on top of the white spotted marble. “It’s exactly the amount of information you need to know.”

“It really isn’t,” Tim responds drily, dragging the cup across the counter as Jason makes grabby hands at it. 

“It is,” he repeats before frowning at Tim even harder. “Gimme!”

“You’re a grown man,” Tim replies simply, lifting his cup out of reach. Jason grumbles and goes onto his tip toes as he reaches over the counter. Tim stares him in the eyes as he moves his stool back and takes a slow slip. He licks his lip and gives Jason a flat look that Alfred would be proud of. “Make your own.”

“But it’s Alfreds specially made recipe! We only get those during December or on really bad nights!” He argues and Tim shakes his head.

“Get shit a couple of times then.” Tim deadpans, slapping the offending limb away from his precious drink. 

Damian snickers, taking a sip of his own hot chocolate as Jason proceeds to drape across the counter like a sad walrus on the beach. His hand still flaps uselessly in Tim’s direction. “Have I told you that this is actually hell and I must still be dead?”

Damian and Tim glance at each other, amused smirks painting tneir faces. “Yes.” They chorus as Jason whimpers pathetically.

“Well it is.” He mutters, obviously ignoring their response. 

Again Tim and Damian look at each other, rolling their eyes in synch at the grown man child before them. And he dubbed himself the ‘cool’ older brother? They don’t exactly agree with that sentiment at the moment.

“As you’ve said many times.” Damian indulges, slurping at the bendy straw he managed to bribe Dick into getting them. Tim wants a bendy straw.

“It’s because it’s true!” Jason whines again, sliding off the counter and onto his knees on the floor. His chin rests on the counter top as he glares at them.

Tim ignores him, taking a nice long drink. The chocolate warms his mouth and his belly as it goes down. Alfred is the best when it comes to making hot chocolate. And cookies. And pancakes. Honestly he’s the best at making everything except waffles. Poor Stephanie.

“This family is cruel.” He continues and Tim would be tempted to spill his drink all over his head if it was any warmer. Instead he just agrees.

“True that.” He hums, blinking as his words are echoed.

He blinks again at Damian before laughing, nodding his head at the startled boy. Damian scoffs, cheeks flushing as he pouts and turns away, embarrassed.

“No,” Jason whimpers, drawing it out nice and long. “First Steph and now Tim. We’re rubbing off on him!”

Damian stares as his older brother slowly disappears from his vantage view. He just slowly sinks? Well then. At least he didn’t do anything considered illegal or lethal to take him down.

“Welp,” Tim says, peeking over to stare at the puddle that is his brother contemplating life on the kitchen floor. “Dick can’t blame us for his external crisis if we run.”

Damian nods, swallowing the rest of his drink. With a smirk he places it carefully near the edge of the counter. “Have the rest of that I guess.”

Tim blinks before smirking at Damian’s sly smile. Together they head to the stairs as they wait for the realisation to settle in. There’s the sounds of scrambling and then Jason’s pained cries reach their ears. 

Tim bursts out laughing as Damian snickers. It seems their evil ways were rubbing off on the gremlin. It was rather nice.


	3. Angelic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gotham always manages to be beautiful when it snows, especially during Christmas. Together Tim and Cass watch the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 down!

Angelic  
—

“Beautiful?” The quiet voice queries a smile to pull at Tim’s, well, Red Robin’s lips.

“Yeah,” He murmurs and there’s soft crunching on the snow behind him. Cassandra, currently Orphan, shuffles so she’s sitting beside him, cross legged.

Together they sit on top of the tallest building in Gotham city, gazing out onto Gotham. It’s quiet and cold as the stars flicker in tandem with the lights from their troublesome city.

Snow coats everything and anything as small icicles hang off of the edge of a few buildings. Christmas lights twinkle and reflect off on the white snow below. A inflatable Santa and his reindeers sway in the wind across a street.

Red Robin and Orphan share smiles into the night. “It really, really is.”

“It is good. I like it.” Orphan whispers like a secret for the city alone to hear and keep. The wind takes her words away and spreads it bone deep into Gotham.

Red Robin nods, cheeks painted red in the cold and his lips paler than usual. “It is, isn’t it? This time of year always manages to be beautiful. It always amazes me with how angelic it turns out.”

Orphan hums and bops her head. Her finger comes up and doodles a figure on the ledge of the building in between them. Red Robin watches her draw for a second before his eyes flicker back to the city. The city he protects every night. It was worth it every time.

“Finnish.” Orphan smiles and Red draws his gaze back to her, laughing softly at her picture. It was spot on in his opinion.

A cartoon Batman stares back at him, Christmas hat askew on his head and a grumpy smile on his face. A sack of toys was in his right hand and a speech bubble read; ‘Marree Cristmas.’

“That’s wonderful Cass.” Red praises and internally thanks Bruce for fixing their masks to record everything. That was too precious to just let it be blown away in the wind or to be recovered future snowfall.

Orphan tilts her head, smile small and bright. “Batman is like him. Santa. They are similar.”

Red Robin pauses and blinks before nodding, laughter being carried away by the soft breeze twirling over the city. “I guess he is. Batman just comes out every night and protects the city instead of handing out gifts.”

Orphan nods before humming slightly. “He’s a miracle,” she murmurs before scooting around to press a finger to Reds side. She points to him then to herself before gesturing vaguely out towards the city. “We are the reindeer.”

Laughter bubbles from Reds throat and Orphan smiles widely. His cheeks tint with the coldness of the air and the laughter escaping his chest. “There sure is enough of us.”

Orphan lets out a quiet bit of laughter before squatting to her knees before standing up. She brushes the snow off of her legs and lends Red Robin a hand. Red lets Orphan pull him up. 

“Well that’s enough time lazing around huh? Let’s go be the reindeers to Batman’s Father Christmas.” Orphan bobs her head and Red grins.

They stand on the ledge before letting the wind push them over. Grapples are fired and they launch themselves into the angelic and quiet city. 

It was theirs to protect after all.


	4. Decorations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian decides to draw instead of decorating the house with them. Tim gets revenge, dragging Bruce into it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four down~

“I can’t believe we haven’t decorated the Christmas tree yet!” Dick exclaims, hopping off the step and sliding down the ladder that leaned on said tree.

Rolling his eyes Jason pulls out some green tinsel from the cardboard box. “I know,” he drawls sarcastically, “it ain’t like we chase after criminals every night.” 

It also hasn’t got anything to do with the fact that the tree was huge and reached the top of the high roofing of the manor. It also hasn’t got anything to do with the fact that a simple ornament looked like an ant compared to the giant tree. Nope, nothing to do with that at all.

Dick nods his agreement. Stephanie facepalms in front of the fireplace where she was hanging up stockings. “Exactly!”

“Well,” Tim mutters from the entryway, “some of us don’t at least.” He says as he finishes hooking the lights around the open archway.

With a snort Stephanie not to subtlety hides the mistletoe she pulled from the box at her feet behind her back. So it’s going to be like that this year? Game on.

Jason mumbles something about a ‘burn’ before he’s grinning and throwing the tinsel around his shoulders. He swirls around to face Damian who’s sitting on the armchair of the couch and drawing in his sketch book. “Draw me like one of your French girls!”

Damian just blinks at him as Stephanie cackles hysterically while Tim blanches. Dick lets out a gasp and was quick to push Jason out of the way so he could cuddle Damian in his arms. 

“Jason,” He says so parental that Jason wonders if he could get away with strangling him with the tinsel, good naturally, of course. “You don’t just say things like that in front of the kids!”

“Dick,” Tim pipes up, patting his shoulder as he passes with a cardboard box tucked under an arm. He ruffles Damian’s hair under Dick’s arm. “Titanic is his favourite movie.”

“Timothy you traitor!” Damian squeaks in indignation. His cheeks go red and green eyes manage to open wide but somehow be narrowed into a glare at the same time. 

Jason lets out a howl of laughter as Stephanie starts biting at her sleeve to hold it in. She didn’t want to be subjected into any type of lecture after this, no thank you.

Blue eyes had gone comically wide as they trail after Tim in disbelief. Damian squawks in betrayal before he’s attempting to escape from the arms around him.

Tim smirks and mouths at Damian as Dick begins the lecture. ‘You should’ve helped with the decorations.’

“Damian!” Dick whispers in shock as Tim pulls away Stephanie’s sleeve before she accidentally chokes on it. “You’re eleven, you shouldn’t be watching things like that!”

“It is a classic,” Jason pipes up, swinging the tinsel in a circle. His job was done. 

Dick shoots him a glare over his shoulder, completely missing Damian’s mouthed swears. He snickers. “Not helping!”

“Eh,” Jason shrugs noncommittally. It’s not his problem and besides, it really was a classic. A smirk flashes across Tim’s face and Jason wishes he has popcorn. This was going to be good. 

“If you want to lecture anyone,” Tim starts and Dick swirls towards him, Damian still trapped in his arms. Tim just shrugs like it’s no big deal but Jason has seen that smirk and the cogs turning in that evil little mind. “Lecture Bruce, I’ve seen him and Damian watching it together after patrol.”

Jason whistles, long and slow. Double whammy. Not only did he mention Bruce allowing Damian to watch it, he also mentioned they watched it after patrol. Which they finished at two in the morning. He actually feels sorry for Bruce. Wait, never mind that was just him struggling to reign in his laughter.

“Is that so?” Blue eyes flash as he gets up slowly. Anyone would’ve thought he was calm but they know him. Someone is about to die. Jason hopes it gets caught on camera.

In barley restrained silence they watch the man stalk out the room, a predator looking for their pray. Welp, looks like their all going into the foster system again. Maybe Clark can adopt them. That would be fun. That or Selina, maybe even Diana. 

“Well, who wants popcorn?” Jason asks and Stephanie basically Inhales her sleeve. He blinks before shrugging, more popcorn for them.

Damian just stares at them in bewilderment. Tim just raises an eyebrow before throwing a round ornament at him. 

“Come on, time to decorate. You know, unless you want me to call Dick back and stop him from murdering your dad?” He asks and Jason nearly says sly devil out loud.

Damian springs up, scattering a stray pencil and carefully placed his sketchbook on top of the couch. Tim chuckles and ruffles his hair as Damian wonders over to him and places a box full of ornaments onto his arms. 

“Come on, help is with the tree?” Tim asks and Damian bobs his head, looking faintly disoriented as he goes behind the large tree to decorate. 

“You’re evil, you know that?” Stephanie wheezes from the floor and Tim chuckles. 

“Maybe. Besides it’s Wednesday, I know how to restrain myself.” He replies, picking out a fake large candy cane from another box.

“You do not,” Jason says mainly because he’s praying Tim wasn’t restraining himself. No one should have that much power. No one.

Tim simply smiles like he hadn’t tricked two people into doing exactly what he wanted.


	5. Sacred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce Wayne holds a charity event and little Timothy and his mother go. Tim learns who Father Christmas is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just couldn’t do 5 fics without adding a hint of angst, could I?

Tim watches the other kids scream and race after each other. Grubby hands press against backs and shoulders as the game of tag continues out in the garden open for guests. 

Glancing up at his mother he bites his lip and shakes his head. No, he won’t go over and play. Mother has taught him that such behaviour is childish and unsanitary. Tim isn’t a child, at least that’s what his fathers says. His mother had also taught him how to be nice and tidy and doing anything but that would only be ungrateful to her teachings. So he won’t play, even if he secretly wants to, as he is a good boy.

The kids continue to yell and chase and Tim watches them from inside Mr Wayne’s mansion. Mother continues to talk to another guest and he wonders when they could go home. His feet are starting to hurt in his black flats. He doesn’t say so though, just continues to hold onto his mothers charcoal and green dress.

“Welcome guests!” Bruce Wayne shouts cheerfully and Tim wonders why he does that, even when he clearly doesn’t want to. Why doesn’t he like who he is right now? “We have a special guest of our own! Please welcome Father Christmas, an old friend of mine!”

Tim watches as Mr Wayne winks dramatically and guests chortle politely but not at all that amused. A white bearded man walks down the steps in a red button up coat and walks towards the red seat at the end of the stairs. So that’s what that display was for. He lets out a loud laugh and waves around the room and Tim watches as the guests clap politely.

The kids playing tag stop and gasp, most of them squealing. They run inside before their parents scold them from running in the foyer. They grin unapologetically and fast walk up to the display and Father Christmas. 

Richard Grayson snickers from Bruce’s side and smiles brightly as he lines the kids up. They jump up and down for their turn and the man laughs out another rather strange laugh. The first kid races up and gets hoisted onto a knee and begins whispering into the white fluffy mans ear. 

“Mother?” Tim can’t help but ask, tugging gently at her skirt. Janet Drake gazes down at him, running her green nails through his hair. The guest she was talking to before has run after her own little girl.

“Yes, my doll?” She purrs questionably as Tim leans his head into the touch. It hurt a bit but mother never was really affectionate so Tim would take what he could get.

He peers around them and lets out a relieved sigh when no bystanders were looking his way. He sure didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of them but especially not when his mother would have to face his foolishness in front of the other guests. “Who is that man? Father Christmas?”

His mother tuts but her nails continue to rake against his scalp. Her sharp green eyes glance at the chuckling man with distaste. “No one my doll. He doesn’t exist and this so called Father Christmas is nothing but a fraud. Someone playing make believe.”

Tim hums questionably, glancing at the area just in time to see a child jump off the mans lap and run to his father. The boy jumps up and down, talking a mile a minute while the man laughs. “He’s playing pretend?”

Tutting Janet nods, her hand leaving his hair to rest on his shoulder. “Indeed, the fool is.”

Still, Tim was confused. “Why does he make people so happy then mother?”

His mothers red stained lips pull into a frown. Her eyes glint before turning to his soft blue ones. “Children tell him all the things they want like the greedy kids they are. That makes them happy, believing they’ll get whatever they want as long as they are good.”

Tim glances at the dirt and grass tracked on the polished floors. Fingers sticky with sweets that Mr Pennyworth had laid out for the guests. “But they haven’t been good, have they mother?”

Janet eyes track the room just as his had done. She shakes her head and her dark coal hair swishes against her bare back. “No they haven’t.”

A frown tugs at his lips and he glances back up at his mother. Green meet blue and she cups his cheeks with long fingers and a smooth palm, silently telling him it was okay to speak. “If they weren’t good then why did their parents let them sit on his lap?”

Janet hums quietly, thumb brushing delicately under his eye. “Parents lie, my doll.”

Tim’s stomach curls and he gazes up at his mother. “Would you lie to me mother?”

“Oh my dear son,” his mother murmurs and shakes her head sadly. Her hand trails back to her side and Tim instantly misses the warmth. “I already have.”

He bobs his head, agreeing silently. His mother and father had both lied to him. When they say they won’t leave and then they do. When they say they’ll be back in a month but they come back in two or three. The only truth they have ever told is when they say they love him. 

He doesn’t say anything, simply slips his hand into his mother’s soft one. Her hand engulfs his when they clasp together but Tim doesn’t mind. “I love you mother.”

Janet smiles ever so slightly. “And I, you Timothy.”


	6. Charity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason is dressed up as Santa and Damian is being goaded to sit in his lap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this as an apology for yesterday :)

“Come on Damian, it won’t be that bad.” Tim assures, smiling at the disgusted look sent at him in return.

Damian shakes his head stubbornly, cheeks puffed out into a pout if you asked anyone but him. “I am not sitting on some pedophiles lap!”

Barbara chuckles and Tim lets out a snicker. Oh the irony. “You’re sitting on my lap right now Damian.” She coos teasingly into his ear.

Cheeks heating up, Damian turns his head stubbornly and Barbara leans back laughing. Tim shakes his head in fond amusement. “You’re not a pedophile and besides, you forced me to sit on your lap so I wouldn’t make a tactical retreat.”

Barbara tilts her head and shrugs, arms tightening around Damian’s mid section at his embarrassed look. Tim doesn’t blame him, he’s already got one for the album book and the press most definitely have a picture by now. 

“It’s for charity?” Tim tries pathetically and Barbara and Damian give him a flat look. Right, that’s why Barbara is holding Damian captive in the first place. “Well it is Jason dressed up, so it should be fine, right?”

He was the one who said he wanted to go to the event, mainly for the food, exactly when Bruce was looking for someone to play Santa. He had kicked up a big fight about it but now he seems genuinely enjoying listening to the kids whisper in his ear. Tim and Barbara have no doubt those kids are going to get exactly what they asked for, before or on Christmas Day.

Damian however doesn’t look all that impressed. “Are you saying he isn’t a pedophile?”

The ungraceful snort from Barbara and the hacking fit from Tim gains odd looks from the guests. They eye them distastefully before Tim smiles at them and Barbara waves. They gaze at them a little longer before returning to watching the kids squeal and jump.

The looks on their faces show they obviously didn’t realise this was an open event and that anyone could come. What made it even more obvious was the different clothing people wore and how the rich status was standing in a tight group. Tim wants to smack them in the face with some paper plates sometimes.

“And why is Jason a pedophile?” Tim asks, wheezing slightly. His stomach hurts now. Barbara’s face was blotched red and Damian was pouting at them.

“He looks old.” He deadpans and Tim studies Jason from afar. His make over he had done certainly does make him look old. Tim is quite proud of his work if he does say so himself.

Barbara blinks, looking puzzled at his logic. A smirk slithers onto her face which she quickly hides when Damian turns in her lap to face her. “Does that make Bruce and Alfred a pedophile?”

Damian goes aghast, wide eyes and horrified. “Of course not!” Barbara looks at him pointedly and he slouches against her with a pout.

“If he does do anything pedophile-lie,” Tim begins, getting the attention of his two siblings, “Elf Cass, Duke, Dick and Stephanie will be there to beat Santa up.”

A man behind them blinks and takes off his hat, scratching at his hat. He looks around and Tim quickly turns away, whistling. Damian and Barbara snicker at his suffering.

“Tim’s right, despite his bad wording choice. Besides it’s only Jason. Tim May be a beat at makeup, I have no idea how, but that is still Jason. The so called ‘cool’ older brother.” Barbara chimes and Tim bumps his hip into her wheelchair in retaliation. Damian simply laughs at the both of them.

“You gonna do it?” Tim asks, laughing as Damian let’s out a groan.

“Fine!” He grumbles but everyone can see the small smile on his face and the slight jump in his step.

It’s obvious he wanted to do it, he was just embarrassed to admit it. The way he kept glancing at the display and the other children, the way he shook his head. So Tim and Barbara banded together, teasing him and prodding him on. 

Damian may not believe in Santa but he was still a child. A child that was getting to sit on Santa’s lap for the very first time at the age of eleven.

“This is going in the album, isn’t it?” Barbara states, happily being pushed forward by Tim to follow after their little brother. 

“Of course.” 

The two photographs were amazing. Dick’s elated look as Damian comes forward. Jason’s mouth dropping open and Stephanie squealing and clapping her hands. Duke shaking his head in amusement and Cass smiling softly. Bruce in the background doing his Brucie persona, wiping a tear and leaning on a random person to steady himself.

The next one was just as good. Damian sitting on Santa’s lap and whispering into Jason’s ear with a tiny smile. You could see Jason’s smirk under his beard and the fond look in his eyes. 

Whatever Damian asked for, he was definitely getting.


	7. Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason is threatening the Santa’s on the street and Dick needs to stop.

“I swear if one more Santa rings another bell right in my ear then I’m gonna shove it where the sun don’t shine.” Jason growls, skirting around another Santa Clause that was chuckling loudly.

Dick rolls his eyes, shopping bag hanging from his left arm. “You will not you dramatic idiot.”

“I will,” threatens Jason in return. He looks over his shoulder with narrowed eyes, eyeing the dressed up Santa with a look of vengeance. “And you wouldn’t say I’m being dramatic when you get blasted with a sonic bomb right in your face.”

Snorting Dick inspects the shops, frowning at the cheap art supplies. Damian would have his head if he got that. “I have, I trained with Black Canary, remember? Besides, being blasted with sonic noises is pretty much a part of the job.”

Dick didn’t know a snort could sound bitter and yet Jason always manages to surprise him. “Yeah, well someone should write a handbook or somethin.’”

With a hum Dick grabs Jason by the arm and drags him into the arts and craft shop. There had to be something in there, right?

“Barry was complaining about how the league should have a ‘what to expect when you become a hero and nearly die everyday list.’ I’m pretty sure Bruce is considering making one.”

Jason snickers. “Drinks to that. That’s going to be the longest list in history.”

Laughing Dick drags them to the isle holding a thousand sketch books and drawing gear. Damian would have an absolute field day in here. Or he would make the shop keepers cry with him telling them about his stingy they are. Either one.

“We’d win a world record for that,” Dick comments while adjusting the shopping bag to his right arm. 

“Definitely,” Jason agrees, “I’ll only accept it though if they mention getting blasted in the face with a sonic bomb. That royally sucks.”

Nodding his head distractedly Dick scans the rest of the isle. A large sketch book gets shoved in Jason’s arms as Dick goes to scan the pencils. “And one about landing face first into dog poo. That was not the best day of my life.”

With a cackle Jason places the book into a wayward trolly that was laying around. He grabs the handles and follows Dick’s slow strides, pausing to pick up wrapping paper with Superman’s symbol decorated on it with Santa hats. There was a Batman one but hey, they have a budget. A Bruce Wayne budget.

“Or one about slamming into walls,” Jason adds, shivering at the memory. At least he knows how bugs feel when they splatter against a car, that’s something he’s never thought about. Ouch. 

Dick’s face morphs into one of pained amusement. “Being thrown onto roofs is just as bad.” He agrees and Jason hisses.   
At least when you slam into a wall your usually facing the same way it is. Getting thrown into a roof to however, well, a lot of legs and arms have been broken because of that. 

He shakes his head. That may hurt but it’s the most unlikeliest to happen. Amateur. “I can do you one better, sliding against asphalt and concrete,” that hurt like a son of a gun.

Dick hisses in sympathy, placing a pack of pencils with a range of tones. Jason nods his approval and grabs a pack of charcoals. You never know, Damian might love it. Alfred however...

“That is the worse. Wait,” Dick begins, cringing at past memories, “actually, I think smashing through a bathroom window and having someone showering is the worst.” 

Jason can’t help the laugh that escapes him, nodding along. That hasn’t happened to him - small mercies - thankfully but that would be the worst. 

“Smashing through glass generally sucks in the first place but I think you just took the icing off the cake,” He cackles. He is so looking for camera footage on that.

“Yay,” Dick sighs and waves his arm in a circle. Jason has no doubt Dick has been reminded of this event all the time. Oh well, he’s the one that bought it up. That his problem now.

“They better add, ‘expect aliens to invade on Monday’s.’” Jason adds, grumbling at the trolly as they turn to the next isle. Great, a bad wheel. Thanks.

With a snort Dick puts some paints into the trolly. “Why on Monday’s?”

Jason gives him a flat look. “Monday’s are hell, and after the invasion I feel like hell.”

Dick full on laughs, grabbing at the trolly to stabilise as he goes down a bit. “That’s fair,” He wheezes, “for an old man.”

“This old man has a gun. Many guns.” Jason retorts with a smirk. “Besides you’ll always be older than me, you stinker.”

Dick lets out a offended squeak, standing to his full height with a threatening finger before winching and rubbing at his side. Jason laughs again, his point has been made.

“I was honestly more offended that you called me a stinker but I think your other point has been made.” Dick admits, rubbing has side as he pouts at Jason.

“Your the one that needs to shower. Anyway I’m gonna start calling you old man.” Jason responds happily, walking away from him with his trolly and letting Dick stumble a bit. “Do you need me to get you a walking stick, old man?”

Dick’s frown suddenly turns to a smirk. Poor Jason, he’s just setting himself up. “You call Bruce old man so why don’t you call me daddy instead?”

Jason splutters and his trolly catches on a box, shoving him into the handle bars. Dick laughs loudly and Jason grumbles. He walked right into the one. Why didn’t he just go with gramps? 

“Keep your kinks away from me and my sensitive ears. We’re shopping for our baby brother, how will he feel if he knew that you were kink-eying it all up as we buy his Christmas presents?” Jason grumbles and Dick just shakes his head with a laugh and pats his shoulder.

“He wouldn’t believe you, I’m his favourite.” He sing songs.

Jason frowns. He’s the cool older brother, he should be the favourite. “Stupid favourite card.” He mutters just as they make their way to the register. 

His older brother suddenly pauses and Jason curses, stopping the trolly just before it collides with his back. This time he isn’t slammed against the handle bars. Maybe he should tell Bruce to add that to the list.

“Oi, What are ya doing?” He mutters and Dick just slowly points to the bunches of glitter lined up on a table just before the register.

“You’re getting that for Stephanie aren’t you?” A nod. “She’s going to get it everywhere.” Another nod. “Alfred is going to murder you.” A resigned bop of the head. “Okay Gotham city, it’s time to become the glitter city because Stephanie has no chill whatsoever.”

The cashier doesn’t even eye them weirdly when they put over 50 packets of glitter on the bench. It was Gotham after all. They purchase all their gear and walk out of the shop. 

Just in time for the twelve o’clock bell to ring in the shopping district.

“Really?!”


	8. Nippy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim picks Damian up from school just like he always does. His work finishes at 3:30 and Damian finishes a 3:45. Perfect timing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really Christmas related but oh well. I started writing and this happened and I like it so there! 
> 
> Warnings: mention of bullying

The door opened and snow crunches against sneakers as Damian climbs into the red pickup truck quickly. A cold breeze goes down their spine before he’s shutting the door quickly.

“How was school?” Tim asks, turning the key and looking back to see if any kids were there. He sees Damian shrug in the corner of his eye as he shoves his bag at his feet. Well that answers that question at least? “What happened?”

Damian shrugs again, “nothing,” he mumbles as he shuffles to get his jumper off. It was covered in dirt and his cheek was bruised. He misses the concerned look Tim shoots his way before he returns to looking at the road. He backs out slowly, glad he didn’t run over any of the kids sprinting and going rampant across the road.

“I wouldn’t say that to Jason if I were you, or Stephanie.” Tim continues, reaching over to crank up the air con. It’s freezing. “Actually the only person safe to say that to is most probably me and Duke.”

Damian shoots him a confused look, chucking his jumper across to the back seat. He’s quick to pull down his sleeve when it rides up but Tim’s already seen it. His hands grip the steering wheel tightly before forcing himself to relax. “Why?”

He shakes his head mockingly solemn. He’ll play it cool for Damian. He clearly isn’t having a good day. “When they want answers they’ll do anything to get them,” is all he says.

A snort escapes Damian and he raises a skeptic eyebrow. Tim can see the small smile on his face. “Really?”

Humming Tim pulls to a halt at the stop sign before stepping on the accelerator again. “Yep. Jason and Stephanie went back and forth once when Steph wanted to know who ate her waffles. She was convinced it was Jason and they had a insult war. Stephanie won and Jason still has two more years of giving her waffles whenever she wants them.”

That does it and the small smile transforms into a grin. “Really?” He asks again and Tim nods.

“I transferred the footage onto my phone. I’ll send it to you later. Oh and consider this a warning to never touch her waffles or get into an insult war. It won’t end well.”  
Tim warns and he was being serious. Steph may be bubbly and chipper but she can go feral when it’s about what is hers.

A snicker escapes his little brother and Tim reaches over to mess up bid hair when the traffic lights go red before they can pass them. Damian swats him away and Tim grins, moving the car forward again. 

They settle down and Damian twists the air con duke to a 5. Tim doesn’t blame him. When he settles back down he turns curious eyes to the side of Tim’s face. “What did Jason do?”

Tim winches and shakes his head. “Jason is one dramatic human being.” He begins.

“A zombie,” Damian helpfully supplies.

Tim blinks before snorting. “Right. Jason is one dramatic zombie who doesn’t take no for an answer. Bruce refused to let him do a drug bust and you know what Jason did?”

“What?” Damian quickly asks, his horrible day at school forgotten. Tim mentally gives himself a pat on the back before continuing on with his story.

“He created a fake ID. Not just one to get into a club or even undercover. He went all out. He created his own birth certificate, trips to the hospital records. He put his name into Gotham high records as a student there from 15 years ago. He even got his mug picture taken and wired it into the system for giving cocaine to children. Hell, Bruce actually thought he was sort of the gang before he revealed himself.” Tim recalls, shaking his head at his older brother amusedly. Jason was one of the most dramatic people ever.

Green eyes stare at him in shock. “He really did go all out, didn’t he?” Damian murmurs, eyes turning to stare out the window in bewilderment.

“He sure did. And ‘Cooper O’Brien’ remains missing to this day.” Tim agrees, chuckling quietly. The report of that fiasco was actually hung up in Bruce’s office. He wasn’t happy about it at first but he was still incredibly proud.

“That makes sense,” Damian returns before turning curious eyes to him again. “You said not to tell anyone, so what would Richard do?” 

Tim gives him a flat look. “Hug you into oblivion.”

Damian blinks before laughing, shaking his head and bowing down a bit. Tim snickers with him and waits for Damian to regain his posture. “And Barbara?”

With a soft and forlorn sigh Tim shakes his head. “She will hack into every technology you own and put a virus on it. She gave Alfred Bruce’s internet history. Let’s just say it didn’t end well.”

“She’s ruthless,” Damian murmurs and Tim nods his head. It was simple but extremely effective. 

Bruce still cowers away from Alfred when he thinks no one is looking. Jokes on him, they’re always looking and watching. Especially Barbara, she has cameras everywhere. Tim once caught her watching Dick dance to Britney Spears in his apartment and sing into his phone. She was eating popcorn. Tim joined her shortly after. If his spleen hadn’t already been removed he might’ve need surgery after that, he was laughing so hard.

Hesitantly Damian looks to him. “What would Cass do?” He asks, looking slightly scared of the answer.

Tim shakes his head again. “No one knows,” he says and Damian stares at him. “There was this one time Bruce was going to sacrifice himself to save a school of children from the Joker. Black Bat swooped in and the next second Joker was crying and begging Bruce to turn him in.”

Damian mouths out a wow and and Tim nods. No one knows how Cass knew what Bruce was going to do. All anyone knows is that Joker is terrified of Black Bat and refuses to come out and cause havoc when she is in town. Small miracles he guesses. 

It’s silent for a second and Damian fiddles with his sleeves. Tim recognises that move and hopes his presence is inviting and non threatening. 

Eventually Damian slickers his eyes to his and Tim smiles at him softly, before turning back to the road. Damian just gazes back down at his hands. “Why aren’t you pushing the matter?”

Tim sighs softly. “I’m 19 Damian. I remember how hard school was and how pushing the matter doesn’t help at times. Whatever happened please know you can talk to us when you’re ready, we’ll listen and we’ll never judge you, okay?”

Damian wipes at the corner of his eye and Tim smiles sadly. “I was bullied you know?”

Green eyes snap up and Tim just turns a corner. “What? Why?” Damian mumbles and Tim shrugs.

“I don’t know. I guess I was just the quiet weird kid that never managed to fit in. Maybe I liked books and technology too much. Maybe I was too quiet or knew too much. But it doesn’t matter anymore, I know now that I’m not the one that needs to change. It was them. How bad must you be to find pleasure in ruining someone’s day constantly? It’s not my fault and it’s not yours either.” Tim says as they stop to park in front of the manor.

He turns to face Damian and pulls the boy into his chest when he spits the tears. He runs a hand over his back, mouth turned into a frown. He had seen the word terrorist cut into his jumper and written in Damian’s arm in permanent marker. It just wasn’t right.

“Whatever’s going on you don’t have to tell me, okay? Just know I’m here for you.” He mutters into dark hair and Damian sniffles, nodding his head and rubbing nose.

Slowly he pulls back and Tim wipes at the tears, ruffling a hand through those messy locks. Damian eyes are slightly red, as well as his nose and cheeks.

“Come on buddy, lets go inside.” Tim mumbles and Damian freezes.

“They’ll know I’ve been crying,” is his soft spoken explanation and Tim laughs softly.

“Blame it on the cold. It is nippy after all.” Is all he says and Damian nods. 

What Tim didn’t tell Damian is that he and Duke are the worst. They’ll rip into that school overnight and watch in utter delight as it crumbles to the ground. The others won’t let them have all the fun and Tim is perfectly okay with that.

“We’re home!” Tim calls out and ruffles Damian’s hair.


	9. Ornaments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Tim get to see the ornament Damian made at school. It’s definitely going on the tree.

“Whoop! Schools out!” Jason shrieks as Tim gives him a deadpan stare in the backseat. Damian blinks at Jason from the front in confusion and slight worry for his sanity. Then again Jason was never sane to begin with.

“You don’t even go to school anymore,” Tim replies slowly, “your twenty two Jason.” He feels like he should remind his brother of this. Just in case. “Damian and Duke are the only ones that go to school anymore and Steph does online courses.” He adds for good measure.

Jason simply huffs at him, blowing the white strand of hair up in the process. “You calling me dumb, Timbers? I know who goes to school and who doesn’t.”

Damian and Tim share a look through the rearview mirror. They both agree that Jason might possibly be lying about that. He’s way too excited for school to be over and he doesn’t even go anymore. Not to mention he loved school when he was a student there a couple of years ago.

“Then why are you so excited?” Damian asks slowly, eyeing Jason in case he needs to book it. When he’s excited it is just plain scary. 

Jason simply rolls his eyes dramatically and Tim waits for him to stop at a stop sign before reaching over and whacking him in the head. Just because he can’t see his eyes doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what the idiot is doing.

“Hey!” Was the whiny response and Damian snickers in his own form of retaliation. “A load of bullies is what you lot are,” He remarks and Tim shrugs. Yeah, maybe they were. Oh well. “Besides I’m excited because that means Damian and Duke are home more and that means more opportunities to mess with ya’.”

“I am right here,” Damian informs him and Tim smirks at Jason’s ‘oh’ face in the rear view mirror. Maybe Cass jumbled his head when they sparred and she slammed him brutally to the ground. Cass won of course.

“Right, right. I knew that,” Jason mutters and Tim and Damian share another look. Yeah right.

“Well I’m glad the holidays have arrived,” Tim admits, leaning back against the leather seats. Wayne Enterprise has released their final product until next year and that means Tim didn’t have to go to the office anymore. Poor Bruce, having to wake up early still. 

Damian nods his agreement. “If I had to spend anymore time around those idiots and watch them play rich frisbee again, there would be a murder on my hands.”

Jason snorts and Tim rolls his eyes fondly. “Dramatic much?” Two flat looks directed at Jason had him turning back to the road and whistling.

Wait. “Rich frisbee?” Tim asks carefully. What the hell was that.

The sigh that comes from Damian reminds Tim of Bruce when he has to deal with their antics. It’s quite funny actually. “Frisbee with their phones basically.”

“That’s brilliant.” Jason says, and of course he of all people would say that. Tim whacks him again. “Hey!”

“One of the boys got smacked in the face with it though,” Damian comments, ignoring his two brothers bickering. “That was fun.” Ouch, Tim winches. That’ll leave a bruise. That’s karma right there, he guesses.

Jason cackles and Damian smiles. Those two are so alike sometimes it’s downright terrifying. Not as terrifying as a mad Alfred though. No one could beat that.

“Anyways,” Tim continues, “What did you guys do today? I think I heard Dick mentioning something about making things for Christmas?”

Damian bops his head, nodding as he pulls his green bag that was at his feet into his lap. “We could do whatever we felt like really,” he explains as he rifled through, “I decided to make something for the Christmas tree. All of you have something you’ve made that’s been put up and I wanted to do something for it too.”

Tim smiles gently while Jason grins, reaching over to ruffle raven hair with his left hand. “You’re too sweet kiddo. I reckon the only one who wanted theirs put up there was Steph, Cass and Dickie.”

“Still,” Damian grumbles, swatting Jason’s hand away. “I wanted to.” He says and he pulls out a circular ball ball attached to green string. He passes it to Tim behind him as Jason pouts at not being able to look at it first.

Tim cups it in his hands, a smile pulling at his face at the reindeer delicately painted onto it in the middle area. Their symbols spiralled around the top and the bottom of the ornament. A cursive ‘Merry Christmas’ went a centimetre from the reindeers tail that went around to its snout.

“This is amazing Damian.” Tim says honestly and he just catches the way Damian ducks his head and smiles. He gently passes it back and wishes Jason would go faster. He wants to see what it would like on the tree.

“I want to see!” Jason whines and when he turns his head he is met with Damian’s hand pushing his face back to face the road.

“And you wonder why Timothy is the one that always picks me up,” He deadpans and Tim laughs. That’s true. 

As Jason and Damian bicker Tim just watches them with an amuse smile dancing across his lips. This year is going to be a good one. He can tell.


	10. Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alfred finds Damian asleep after making Christmas cards for the very first time.

“Master Damian?” Alfred queries quietly, shaking the blanket covered shoulder of the young boy. It seemed to be blue and stained with various things in the dim lighting of the room. Master Richard then.

One of the boys arms that wasn’t tucked between the table and his head waved him away in his subconscious state. Alfred raises a brow, smiling, a small amused gesture as Damian mumbles something and tucks his arms back to his body. 

At least Master Damian was finally learning it was safe to sleep freely here and that no one in the residence wished him harm. He was free to sleep peacefully. Most of time, that is. 

Alfred shook his head and gazes at the table the boy had fallen asleep on. His sketchbook lay open - his phone laying haphazardly on the edge - with various designs of animals and Christmas decorations sketched on a single page. Pencils and other papers were strewn across the table and, curiously enough, home made envelopes with nothing in them.

Raising a brow Alfred picks up the phone, a single crack running from the top left side to midway of the phone. At least he wasn’t as bad as Master Dick who often forgot he had his phone on him when he did gymnastics, or anything really. Any phone capable of surviving him would surely survive a punch from Superman. 

The phone instantly recognises his thumbprint and switches on. He was the only member of the family to know all the passwords and have his fingerprint in all of the phones. Of course the phones were upgraded to fit their nightly activities but the children still craved personal space. They couldn’t respect each others personal space however.

The tutorial of how to make envelopes was still open and lit up the room. Alfred clicks onto the history icon and it pops up. The results have him smiling softly and maybe just a tad sadly. It all makes sense when one thinks about it.

Not one to dwell on such things Alfred pocketed the phone and bent down to the boys height. Damian’s nose twitched and 

he burrowed into his arms laying on top of the wooden carved table.

“Now now Master Damian,” Alfred chided quietly as he hooks an arm under the boy’s legs. He uses his other one to gently push the upper half of the boy onto the cream leather couch behind him. Luckily the boy barley even stirs. “It’s not good for your back to sleep like that, now is it?”

Predictably no words, grunts or even huffsrespond to him and his chiding. Alfred huffs back, just like they do to him when they believed he was telling them to do something unreasonable, and wraps his arm under the young Masters back. He lifts him up as he stood to his proper height at the same time.

Damian stirs slightly and Alfred smiles as a cheek presses against his shoulder as he carries the young man back to his bedroom, blanket still draped over his form. The stairs were much easier to climb back in his day but it is still easy to do. Master Damian isn’t a fully grown adult like his older siblings and his father after all.

He gently pulls the door open and is pleasantly surprised, as he always is, at the clean room. Sometimes he has to remind himself that this isn’t Master Bruce despite their similarities and that this boy is much cleaner than his father was when he was this age. Actually, Master Damian was cleaner than Bruce is now. 

Shifting Damian to one arm is easy enough. With that done he pulls the covers of the bed back and lays the boy down on the mattress carefully, not wanting to jostle him awake. Instantly the boy rolls over again, away from Alfred and burrows his face into a white pillow.

“Sleep well, young Master.” Alfred whispers and folds the blue blanket on the bottom of the bed. He then pulls the dark lime green sheets over the sleeping form before pulling back. He gazes at the small chest raising and falling before tracking back down the stairs and to the bottom floors lounge.

He arrives at the messy table and rolls his eyes in amusement. It seems he would always be cleaning up after this lot. Even if he scolds them for it he doesn’t truly mind doing it. When it comes to his kitchen and Master Bruce’s and Dick’s cooking however...

Carefully he slips the papers into the sketchbook as well as the envelopes. He smiles at the homemade Christmas cards before putting them carefully into the book as well. There seemed to be six completed so far. The young boy would just have to put them in the envelopes at a much more appropriate time. It was past midnight after all. 

Alfred places the pencils back into the simple pencil case that had various words and drawings on it. He spotted a bat and many other hero symbols before getting back to the task at hand. 

He smiles gently when he sees the list of names that were hidden under all of the drawing supplies. It was their names as well as family friends. It seems Alfred was correct when assuming the young boy had been making Christmas cards before falling asleep in the late hours of the night. 

  * ~~Father~~
  * ~~Timothy~~
  * ~~Richard~~
  * ~~Jason~~
  * ~~Duke~~
  * ~~Cassandra~~
  * Stephanie 
  * Barbara 
  * Alfred 
  * Alfred the cat
  * Titus
  * Jerry 
  * Batcow
  * Jonathan 



Alfred chuckles and it seems abnormally loud in the quiet atmosphere of the room. It seems the young boy was doing everyone, even the pets. Alfred has no doubt everyone would treasure theirs.

He slips the list into the sketchbook and scoops the equipment into his arms. He climbs the stairs quickly yet quietly, carefully opening the door to the slumbering boy’s room. 

The boy doesn’t even stir, snoring away softly into the night without a care in the world. Good. Alfred places the boys belongings onto the small side table residing next to the bed. He puts the boy’s phone on top of it all and makes his way out of the room. He stops at the doorway for a second.

“I’m sure everyone will love their cards, young man. They may be your first and that’s exactly what makes them the best.” He murmurs into the room before closing the door gently.

His watch beeps and the ring around it turned dark black with light grey in the middle. Bruce. It seemed like his assistance was required once again. At least the other kids were asleep in their own rooms tonight and not patrolling. They deserved the break.

Hopefully Alfred didn’t have to carry Master Bruce up the stairs this time. He didn’t particularly feel like stumbling over the grown mans things that were laying on the floor as he had once done before.

If he does he’ll just leave the man there. His son may have children of his own now but he clearly couldn’t follow his own rules about keeping the place tidy. Or Alfred’s rules apparently. He should’ve been back an hour ago.

He makes his way down the stairs once again but he can’t help but smile. His parents, his biological ones, would undoubtedly be proud of Bruce (even with his messiness) and his children. 

Just like he is proud of every single one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BATGRAMPA is the best


	11. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s cold when they’re apart but nothing but warm when all of them are together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluffiness alert

Warmth  
—

The fire crackles and pops, colours bright and happy and warm. The stocking hang above it carefully, names sewed on the top white part. Decorations hang around the fireplace and the moment is just calm calm and peaceful.

“Timmy?” A voice questions and Tim hums in response, turning to look over his shoulder. He tilts his head at Dick in greeting before gazing back into the fire.

Socked feet shuffle beside him and Tim laughs softly at the elf design stitched to it. He’s not even surprised. Dick plops down beside him, leaning his body weight on the back of his hand and stretching his feet out to the fire. Tim keeps his legs to his chest and his arms right around him.

“What you doing?” Dick asks softly, gazing into the fire and smiling as it lets out a rather large pop. 

Tim shrugs beside him. “Just thinking,” he replies quietly. He rests his chin on his knees and wiggles his toes.

“About?” He pries and Tim shrugs again, releasing his legs so they sat crisscrossed and hiding his face in the pillow. Dick laughs quietly and bumps their shoulders together playfully. 

“How this is going to be everyone’s first real Christmas,” Tim admits softly as he hugs the pillow tighter. 

Dick blinks before leaning his head on Tim’s shoulder and staring at the side of his face. “What do you mean?”

A sigh escapes him and he wiggles his toes as they start to go numb. “Well you might’ve had Christmas’ with Bruce when you were younger I just don’t see him being that,” he shrugs his other shoulder, “involved yet.”

Dick chuckles and it’s warm against Tim’s neck. “Yeah, he was a bit stiff. It was weird and different and maybe a bit lonely but it was okay. I missed my parent more than anything those days.”

Tim nods because he understands. “Then you and Bruce were arguing and Jason came along and he’s never really had a Christmas before. I know you came over for a while but it would’ve been awkward and,” Tim sighs and shrugs again, “yeah.”

A soft sigh escapes Dick and he leans his weight into Tim’s side. Tim rests his cheek onto his hair. “I never realised how good we had it then.”

Tim hums his response, staring into the flames that still danced and tangoed together. “And then he was gone and no Christmas was celebrated that year. Then I came along, made everything awkward. My first Christmas being robin and I got kidnapped by joker and watched as he run over people.”

An arm wraps around Tim’s waist loosely and hugs him carefully. “That wasn’t your fault. We should’ve helped you more, kept a closer eye on you.”

A non-committed hum answers Dick and the arm tightens around him and hair tickles his cheek as Dick nuzzles into him comfortingly. “Then Steph gave away her baby around that time and Barbara got shot. Cass never had a Christmas before and Duke lost his family. Damian never knew what Christmas even was until he came here.”

A sigh escapes Dick and they leaned into each other weightlessly and comfortingly. Last year was a mess, with Bruce being gone and everyone leaving. Tim was searching and Christmas was forgotten. This year would be the first time for a real Christmas, where they’re together and happy. 

“Yeah,” Dick admits and it’s warm with him beside him. “That’s why this year is going to the best dang one we’re going to have.”

Tim laughs then and it’s soft in the room. The flames dance and his stomach feels warm. “Until next year that is.” He adds because next year was going to be good. It had to be. They would make future years great and they’ll stick together the best they can.

Dick nods and Tim’s cheeks hurt form smiling so much. Alone they’re cold but together they’re warm and whole. Together they’re a family.

“Yeah, until next year.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my angst :)


	12. Snowman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three of the bats makes snow bats. They’re better than the originals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these three. They are precious babies

“Thomas, Cassandra what are you two doing?” A voice questions, sounding curious yet a little judgemental all at the same time.

Then again it was freezing outside and they looked like giant marshmallows in their gear to keep warm. They were also playing with the snow with ridiculous smiles on their faces. Duke doesn’t blame him at all.

“We’re making snowman’s!” He responds happily, patting the large lump shaped as a ball that was resting by his feet. He had the base down and Cass was currently rolling the head next to him to a good size.

Damian simply blinks at them, tugging on his green scarf to tighten it around him. His boots crunches in the snow as he makes his way over and Duke happily raises his fist for a fist bump. 

“Why?” He asks, a small smile on his face as he bumps his fist against Duke’s. Victory!

Cass rolls her smaller ball over, lifting it into her arms before carefully placing it onto the larger ball. “Fun,” is all she says, smiling happily behind her scarf. “

“Blackmail,” Duke adds. 

“You’re going to get hyperthermia,” Damian declares after a moment of analysing their words and actions. Duke shrugs.

“Worth it!” He cheers, scooping up a small mound of snow. Damian simply blinks at them but he doesn’t walk away, green eyes curious as he watches them work and play around in the snow.

Duke shapes the snow in his red glove covered palms, rolling it out like a cylinder before making a side pointy and pinched. He puts it on the side of the head piece, carefully smoothing out the snow at the bottom to stabilise and connect it to the head.

“What are you making?” Damian asks, eyes scanning the mostly plain snowman. His boots shifts in the snow, eyes wondering over their creation as he tried to figure out the question on his own.

Cass smiles secretively. She puts a finger to her lips as she tells their younger brother their plan like it was a secret. Duke grins widely. “Batman.”

Damian stares before he’s kneeling down and scooping up some snow. He copies the actions Duke went through, carefully rolling it out and pinching out a side.

He places it on the other side of the head and Cass helps him smooth the bottom bit out. They add a bit more snow and spot it around the circular end to smooth it out before nodding their heads. That should do it.

“Alright,” Duke grins widely, “the moment of truth! Let’s see if they stay on by themselves!”

“Three,” Cass begins, smiling at them. She tilts her head to Duke who sends and excited one back.

“Two,” He happily cheers, grinning at Damian to do the honours. His smile back is small but appreciative and just that little bit excited.

“One,” Damian murmurs and their hands leave the ears. They hold their breath and watch carefully. They don’t move.

Duke jumps up, fist bumping the air in his excitement. Cass smiles happily, clapping her hands and Damian grins. The ears had stayed on the head!

“Yes!” Exclaims Duke before he’s messing up Damian’s beanie. Damian swats at him playfully. “Let’s do the next bit!”

“What’s that?” Questions Damian, gazing at their snowbat. It was nowhere near finished but they were all proud of their creation so far. They were going to make it amazing.

Duke hums and Cass tilts her head. “Eyes?” She questions, gazing at the lump of snow as she would do when interrogating a criminal and trying to figure something out. 

Dukes eyes widen and he nods happily. “Yeah! We could go find some white rocks and some sticks while we’re at it. We can see who has the best in five minutes!”

They nod their agreement, eyeing each other critically. It may not be a serious competition but they were going to win. They were bats after all and they were quite competitive at times.

It didn’t really matter who won really. Cass and Duke weren’t competitive, unless they were goaded and teased. Damian was only competitive when others were. This was just for fun and that was the best bit about it.

Let’s just say they built the best Snowbat ever. As well as all of the bats with silly differences. They couldn’t just waste this opportunity, could they?

Snow-wing and Spoiled-tinsel both had their eyes crossed and tongues sticking out. RedSnowHood had antlers on top of his helmet as well as a giant heart on his chest. RedSnow was comically short with over the top detail. They had his mask, costume design and boots with all of his gadgets. Amazing. SnOracle was perfect as well as agent S; the snow butler. 

The Snigal, Snowy Orphan and White Robin were the most eye catching of them all. They had everything and more and were the actual sizes of their human counter parts. They clearly were the best out of all of the snow bats.

They were a replica of the real things after all.


	13. Elf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A knocked down Christmas tree, an elf hat and aerial dancing - not all in that order

“If you put that on my head I will murder you in the most painful way imaginable. I’ll kill your family,” Damian threatens through his teeth, green eyes narrowed. Tim reckons his blood would be poison it’s so green. It had no right to be that green. 

Then again he doesn’t blame him at all right now. Maybe except for the killing Dick’s family part. He wasn’t apart of this, don’t make him apart of this. He wonders if Damian is aware that that included the pets. He wouldn’t hurt his own pets, right? 

Jason wasn’t helping by any means by perking up on the couch like a excited dog seeing their loving owner after a week. Tim could just see his tail wagging right now and he hadn’t even imagined it yet.

Dick simply smiles, like the idea of the death of himself and his entire family doesn’t faze him whatsoever. Rude. 

A green elf hat dangles from being pinched between his pointer finger and his thumb, shaking it obnoxiously. The bell on the top rings eerily and Jason cackles in the background.

“I don’t believe you will, especially not the pets,” he says far too cheerfully and Tim never really realised how sadistic Dick was before. Damian’s expression falling ever so slightly shows he has realised this too and isn’t liking his favours.

Damian takes a careful step back, hand resting on the couch behind him to stabilise himself. Tim scoots to the other end, spotting how Damian’s legs bend and coil in a way that says he’s preparing to jump and flee. 

“You’re right, I won’t touch the pets but I will slaughter you,” is the threat and Tim tells himself that Damian isn’t serious. You say weird stuff when your flight instincts kick in. You go for anything really. Yeah, he isn’t very good at convincing himself it seems.

Dick shrugs and shuffles forward slowly and Damian flees. It’s a blur of a black T-shirt followed by a ugly Christmas sweater and Wonder Woman sock covered feet.

Tim cowers, holding his arms above his head as the large body of his older brother full on launches over him to wrestle an elf hat on the youngest’s head. 

Jason claps his hands so giddily and so full of delight that Tim aims a death glare at him through his arms and messed up hair. He’s honestly surprised he didn’t get whip lashed. Small miracles.

“Now this is fun,” Jason declares, watching the scene. His ideal of fun is just messed up Tim decides as Dick sprints after Damian who is running at full speed, pumped full of adrenaline and fear of humiliation.

Tim shakes his head as the wooden carved table in front of him gets thrown in attempt to stop Dick as he brings his legs up onto the cushion. It smashes onto its side and does nothing as the opponent simply summersaults over it with grace that didn’t need to be I this situation.

“I’m not cleaning this up,” he calls out. All he wanted to do was binge watch ‘The Try Guys’ with Jason and get roped into doing most of the stuff they do by him and Stephanie. He can’t even do that without chaos happening.

Damian’s shoes squeak against wood as he turns and slides around the other couch Jason was on. He throws himself forward and Tim is used as a springboard to get over the couch. Dick does the same and Tim just whines as he’s shoved backwards. He just wanted to chill - not to be used as a jungle gym - is that too much to ask?

Cackles and snorts escape from Jason as he slumps on the armrest of the chair. He claps his hands again before wheezing as he flops limply over the arm rest. Okay, that answers that question.

Damian jumps up and narrowly avoids colliding with Jason’s dead form as he runs on the back of the couch. At the edge he launches himself up and Tim watches as he collides with the Christmas tree with the biggest bear hug he’s ever seen.

Dick isn’t much better. He does the same as Damian and jumps up onto the couch but he doesn’t manage to escape Jason’s corpse. His left foot collided with his shoulder and then he’s rolling on the couch and toppling onto the floor and crashing into the tree.

Heaving breaths revive Jason just in time to burst it all out as the tree, including Damian, fall on top of Dick. He’s not laughing when the top part comes crashing down and smacks him in the face. To top it all of, the angels wing cuts his cheek as it does.

Tim blinks slowly. He stares for a long second before he’s standing up, collecting his laptop and pockets his phone. He walks out the room because he is not dealing with this. He will binge watch ‘The Try Guys’ and get roped into doing aerial silk dance with the girls and Duke.

He will not help those three clean up and explain this to Alfred. He will not hear Jason whine about missing out on their Friday tradition of binge watching YouTube videos and he will not listen to Dick complaining about missing out on silk dancing. Nope, not today. 

“We’re back!” Stephanie calls as Tim passes the threshold. Quickly he makes a beeline towards the sound as the front door is opened with a hip and a jangle of keys.

Duke, Cass, Barbara and Stephanie shuffle in with bags in their arms that cover their view of the reck in the next room. Good. Stephanie won’t be able to join in and he’ll beable to save Duke from a heart attack.

“Hi,” Tim says, pushing Barbara’s seat forward. “Time to binge watch videos and aerial dance on the second floor lounge. Let’s go.”

Duke’s bags shuffles and Stephanie radiates her confusion. Cass and Barbara adjusts their bags - see Damian desperately gripping at the carpet to pull himself out and a hand tight on his ankle with an elf hat in the other - and quickly help guide the other two upstairs. 

Nope, not today. They’re not dealing with that and they won’t let anyone else join or die today.

Two hours later and Duke is tangled in yellow silk, Barbara upside down in green and Stephanie spinning around in purple silk while cackling madly. Suddenly there is a commotion from downstairs and they hear Bruce yelling out all the wrong names before scolding the three in a deep exasperation that radiates throughout the manor. 

Tim just smiles and does a perfect split with the red silk wrapped around his calves and twister between his fingers as Cass dances to an unsung song beautifully and gracefully. 

“All of this mess over an elf hat?!”

Smiling Tim pulls himself up to do another move. Jason was right, now this is fun. 


	14. Carols

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A song is made up and Robin and Batman suffer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically crack treated seriously humans I have no regrets

The night has been full of laughs and made up carols. The batmobile’s tire had spun out of control on a glacier and had somehow managed to break a wheel off and shoot it through an open sewer grate that had been open for construction. Killer Croc really needed to stop breaking sewers open. He stunk enough as it is.

The night had just gotten better now that Batman smells like sewer and the witch Joker had joined up with literally made Robin lay an egg. He had made a fart noise when it happened and his face had screwed up ‘like he had taken a shit,’ Jason’s words, not his. The horrified look on his face and his carful cradling of the egg had just made it better. Jason is going to feel that in the morning after asking if he could have it for breakfast tomorrow.

Now they’re split into pairs to find the Joker who had gotten away when they were dying from laughter. The witch was taken cared of quickly, him being new to the whole thing and believing Joker when he said he was a good guy. Red Hood hasn’t quite gotten over that part just yet.

“If you sing that song one more time-“ Robin’s threat is cut short and Red Robin snickers behind the safety of his lenses. 

He wonders if Robin remembers that their cameras are always recording. By the looks of it he is too annoyed to remember anything at the moment.

“Jingle bells, Batman smells,” Batgirl began with a screech over the comms and everyone heard the crackling of wind as she took a leap off a building. 

Everyone heard Batman’s offended grumble and Hood’s amused agreement to that statement.

“Robin laid an egg,”Hood happily sings the next verse. Red instantly spots the pout on Robin’s face at that and he shakes his head in amusement.

“I didn’t- the witch pulled a trick!” He exclaims, face flushing at the answering howls of laughter. 

Red even heard Barbara’s cough of amusement. Subconsciously he hopes she’s recording all of this just in case Robin decides to shove them all down the sewer Batman fell in moments before. He Wallis put it past the younger boy.

“The batmobile lost a wheel and the Joker got away,” Nightwing joyfully joins in and Red snorts. Yep and that’s why they’re all out here looking for the clown.

“Hey!” Everyone choruses and Red turns his head away to whistle when Robin shoots him a betrayed look. It was catchy okay?

The Signal starts it again with laughter catching between the words, “Jingle bells, Batman smells.”

“Reeks more like it,” Hood murmurs quietly and Batgirl laughs at his pain through the comms along with Nightwing. Who decided to pair up the hyper ones again?

“Robin laid an egg,” Black Bat mumbles the next line slowly and everyone cheers. 

Even Robin smiles slightly before scowling when he realised no one was on his side. The only one not singing was Batman and he was being bullied too. 

“The batmobile lost a wheel,” Red Robin sings and smiles at Robin cheekily as he runs across snow covered roof tops. Robin kneels down, scoops up some snow and nails him in the back of the head. Red simply laughs.

The Signal chuckles and sings out the final line with a smile they all could practically see. It’s funny how that works, considering he was with Black Bat in another part of the city. “And the Joker got away,”

“Hey!” Everyone cheers and Red spots Robin mumble it behind him. He smiles and leaps off the next building and soars with the stars with Robin beside him.

“How about another?!” Comes a distant voice and Red blinks at Batgirls burst of laughter and Nightwing’s shriek.

Batman instantly demands what’s going on over the sounds of skin hitting skin. Grunts go through the comms and pants followed shortly by wheezing laughter of disbelief. 

“Batgirl, Nightwing, report.” Batman orders only to get more laughter and shocked mumbling from Nightwing.

Batgirl wheezes a little longer, sounding close to tears as she chokes on her words. “We caught the Joker by creating a Christmas carol.” She somehow manages to get out and the comms explode with exclamations and shouting all around. 

Red Robin just blinks before shaking his head. He turns to see Robin’s bewildered look and he can’t help but let out a laugh. This night had turned out amazing considering they were after the Joker of all people. 

Red guesses carols really do bring people together - even when you’re trying to kill each other - it seems.


	15. Baking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian is supervised when baking gingerbread cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This recipe may not be accurate so don’t copy this one unless you wanna be poisoned :p

“I don’t see why you have to supervise me,” Damian grumbles and Jason rolls his eyes. Everyone knew how Bruce was like with his cooking and it turns out Damian was a bit too much like his father.

“Yes you do,” He deadpans, ruffling the shorts boys hair as he passes. He’s not at all surprised when Damian attempts to scratch him. “We don’t need the FBI trying to take you away when you make a nuclear bomb with your cooking.”

Damian makes a sound of embarrassment mixed with outrage as Jason rolls up the sleeves to his black turtleneck shirt. He squirts some soap into his hands, rubs them together and wishes them under the lukewarm water. 

“I am not as bad as father,” Damian counters, washing his hands under the sink. 

Jason hums noncommittally as he wipes his hands on a tea towel. He realises in amusement that Damian had to go on his tippy toes to turn off the running water. He was so going to rub in the fact about being taller because you never know when that growth spurt was going to hit in.

“Maybe but you’re still pretty bad, shortie.” Jason says with a smirk at Damian’s pout directed at him. This was too fun. “Only five people out of this whole family are allowed in the kitchen without supervision and you ain’t one of them.”

A grumble reaches his ears as Damian follows him around like a little duckling as he collects all the ingredients. “And who are those five?”

Jason passes him the butter and an egg from the fridge to place on the counter. “The all knowing Alfred of course,” he begins riffling through the pantry and passing Damian ingredients, “me, Babs, Timbers and Duke. The kitchen is out of bounds for everyone else unless supervised.”

“The others I understand but Timothy?” Damian asks and Jason secretly agrees with him. 

Tim just doesn’t strike you as a guy that could cook but his food was just as good as Jason’s own cooking. Then again when you learn to cook at the age of six with no parental supervision - because your parents are never there and the nannies are only allowed to buy ingredients - then you would be pretty good with your cooking.

With a shrug he pulls out two baking trays and hands them back to Damian as he turns the oven on to 180 Celsius. “I was surprised too but he’s had to cook since he was six since his parents were always alway. I reckon that makes you about as good as Gordon Ramsey when it comes to cookin.’”

Shock flashes against Damian’s expression and he nearly drops the cooking trays in the process. A small smile crosses Jason’s face despite the depressing topic. Damian has come a long way, sure he and Tim still fought like cat and dogs - ironic since Alfred the cat and Titus got along so well - but then what siblings didn’t? Damian’s even calling everyone their first names now and that was beyond amazing.

“Oi, you wanna grease the trays?” Jason asks and Damian nods, placing the trays on an clean pet of the bench. 

Jason melts the butter and brushes the tray with it. He shows Damian how to do. “Just don’t put to much on, yeah? These are gingerbreads we’re making, not butter cookies.”

“I know that,” Damian says with a roll of his eyes. He can’t hide the smile when he gets passed the brush and the bowl of butter. “I was the one who wanted to cook this recipe in the first place.”

“Yeah, yeah shortie,” returns Jason as he places the 125g of unsalted butter into a large glass bowl. He grabs a measuring cup and opens the brown sugar bag. He scoops one full cup into the bowl and does another half a cup. 

Damian trots over just as Jason plugs in the electric beaters and switches it on. “You wanna mix it?” He asks, screwing on the beaters to the machine part.

“Please,” Damian nods and Jason smiles. The little brat was nervous. Now he sees why Stephanie and Dick fawn over him at times. 

“Here ya go,” Jason passes Damian the electric beater. “Just go slow at first and turn it up slowly. We want to mix it until it’s pale and creamy.”

Damian nods and flicks the machine on. He startled at first before regaining his posture, holding onto the bowl this time. Jason snickers slightly and goes to get the other ingredients ready. He measures the golden syrup and pours it in as Damian continues to stir.

“Oi, Damian. C’mere I want to show you a trick.” Jason calls and Damian switches the machine off, placing it awkwardly onto the bench. Oh well, they can clean that up later. “You see how we gotta get the egg yolk separated from the rest? I’ll show you a trick on how to do it.”

Jason tells Damian to crack the egg in a small bowl as he goes and gets a plastic water bottle. When he finds one he grins and shows it to Damian triumphantly. He receives a flat look in response. He can’t please everyone it seems. 

“Okay,” Jason hums squeezing the bottle and placing just near the yolk bit. “Now release!” He releases the bottle and grins as the yolk was sucked up. Just like how his mama taught him.

“What?” Damian mutters and Jason laughs, handing him the bottle to put in the batter. 

“Go on, I’m gonna get the dry ingredients ready while you beat that together.” He shoos him away with a grin. He’d never thought he’d be teaching someone else that trick before. It was nice.

In a seperate bowl he puts 2 cups and a half of plain flour in first. 1 tablespoon of ginger gets thrown in next, shortly followed by a teaspoon of mixed spice bicarbonate of soda. Done!

“Dry ingredients coming through!” Jason hollers and quickly pours it into the larger glass bowl making Damian jump. Jason snickers and watches as the boy struggles a bit with the mixer. “We can knead it now since it’s mostly combined. Just use your hands while I get some flour out.”

Damian hums in response and Jason has way too much fun pouring a bunch of flour into the counter. What can he say? He always has enjoyed making messes. 

He calls Damian over and together they knead it in the bench. Occasionally they flip it over and knead our the other side until the whole thing is smooth and has no more lumps in it.

“Lookin’ good, good lookin,’” Jason cheerfully says to the dough as he rips a piece of plastic wrap off.

“Weirdo,” Damian helpfully points out and Jason reaches back and flicks him on the forehead. His face scrunches up and Jason snickers, wrapping the dough up in the wrap. 

“Shortie,” Jason returns and passes Damian the dough. “Put that in the fridge and we can make the icing for decorations!”

Half an hour later and Jason is watching Damian roll out the gingerbread like a proud papa bear. Ew, he’s going have to punch some disgusting criminals up later. All this sweetness is getting to him. 

Damian turns to him expectantly after rolling it out and Jason grins. “Now for the fun bit! The cookie cutters!”

With a roll of his eyes Damian grabs the classic gingerbread man shape from Jason’s hand. They cut out ten or so before deciding to get creative and cutting out some original shapes. 

“I’m making a Superman one and a Green Lantern. Bruce is gonna love it,” Jason declares, placing the shakes into the greased trays. Damian snorts from behind him.

“He’s going to do the opposite of that,” Damian declares, placing his ones down in the tray as well. Jason whistles lowly.

Damian was creative but he didn’t think that included when cooking. He couldn’t cook to save a life but he was good with a knife carving with dough apparently. He somehow had managed to cut out all their symbols with the dough. With the excess he had created some animals and a round moon looking shape with a ‘A’ on it and a small mustache underneath. 

“That is not fair how brilliant that looks,” Jason declares with a mocking pout at the tray and sending one at Damian as well. Damian just smirks but you would be a fool if you didn’t see the happiness of the praise in his eyes. 

Easily he carries the trays to the oven, thanking Damian when he opens it. He slips the two in and turns the timer resting on the bench to go off in ten minutes. 

“Alright it’s time to get the decorating part prepared!” Jason exclaims and Damian grins. 

Together they get the red and green icing out from the fridge. With a bit of a struggle and some mess they manage to pour the mixture into zip lock bags and cut the corner of it. While Damian finds some other edible decorations from the fridge Jason begins with the dishes and places them in the drying rack.

A few minutes later and Damian is drying them and putting them away. With two hands they get it done quickly and manage to put all some of the ingredients away before the timer beeps. Damian nearly jumps up and down in his excitement. 

“Alrighty, C’mere my lovelies,” Jason sing songs, slipping on hand mitts and opening the oven. 

The gingerbread cookies smell amazing and ha e gone a nice brown colour. He grins and pulls the trays out and carefully slips them onto the cooking rack as Damian turns the oven off before joining him.

“Lookin’ good,” Jason praises, pulling off the mitts and hanging them in their rightful place. On the nail in the wall that was on the left just above the oven. “Time to clean anything else up while they cool I guess.”

For the next couple of minutes they clean up any messes. They wipe down benches, finish placing all the ingredients away and wipe down the trays to place them in the cool down oven again.

“Time to see how cool they are?” Damian asks and Jason nods with a smile. They touch the cookies and grin when realising they’re cool enough to decorate. 

“Let’s do this!” Jason cheers and Damian full on grins.

Minutes of delicately icing and decorating their beautiful creations go by fast. Soon all the cookies are decorated and Jason is plating the ones for Bruce and Alfred up. 

Damian wants to show Alfred that he didn’t need supervision but he really just wanted to show someone his cooking without being asked if it was poisonous. Alfred was immortal after all, not even Bruce’s cooking could kill him. That does t mean he doesn’t totally ruin Bruce’s day with his comments of his taste bud killing food. Jason just wanted to ruin Bruce’s day. 

“Do you think Alfred will let me in the kitchen unsupervised?” Damian asks curiously and Jason shakes his head in mock sadness.

“Not a chance shortie.”


	16. Blizzard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim refuses to let go off Damian while he suffers.

“I’m blaming this on you,” Damian mutters, teeth chattering as he huddles into himself for warmth. 

“Go ahead, just save your energy.” Tim murmurs back, winching as the wind howls and rattles on what’s left of the windows of the broken down and unoccupied apartment.

He pulls Damian closer to his side, whispering apologies at the low whine it admits from the boy. He wraps the two capes tighter around him and looks around the second floor apartment.

The others needed to get here and quickly. Damian was as cold as the cement floor on the lowest floor of the apartment. He was shivering, teeth clattering and rubbing at his arms desperately seeking warmth. If they didn’t get here soon Damian could, no, he would die from hypothermia.

He glances around the room desperately, the green couch before in the middle of the room. It was rotten and had various stain but it would be much better than on the floor. He glances at Damian’s pale face and blue tinted lips and any hesitation went out the broken window.

“Okay, I’m just going to move for a second? Okay Dami?” Tim wasn’t one to use names on the field but who could blame him? 

Damian was stripped from his wet clothing and wrapped in two capes so no one would recognise him. If someone were to find them it would seem like Red Robin helping a little kid and if they found out he was Tim Drake somehow, well, Tim couldn’t care less.

“No na- names on t- the field,” Damian mumbles back, eyes half closed and lips shaking. He was still coherent, that was good. Really good.

“Bruce can scold me later, yeah?” Tim returns gently, praying keeping Damian talking would keep him conscious and coherent. It was working so far.

An inaudible grumble is his response and Tim bites his lip and wriggles away from his little brother. Damian whines and reaches out and Tim has to avoid him. 

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll be right back okay? I’m trying to help you, I promise.” He murmurs and Damian’s head lolls onto the beaten down wooden cabinet they had been huddled against. 

Slowly Tim brushes a hand through his still wet hair in a form of comfort before forcing himself to step away. Damian whimpers and it breaks Tim’s hear but he continues to walk away toward the couch. 

It’s surprisingly easy enough to move and Tim praises for small miracles. He heaves it across the room, keeping an eye on how Damian startles into attention with every scrape against the floorboards. 

He wrangles the couch around, nearly slumping in relief as seeing how it blocks the broken window off a tad more. That’s good, really good. Tim lines it up against the wall and pushes it as far as he can before he fears he might crush Damian under it.

“Okay, okay,” He mutters to himself. He pulls away from the rotten couch and rounds around it to see Damian huddled between the two furnitures. “Come on Dami, it’ll be a little warmer now.” 

Damian blearily blinks up at him and Tim sends him a reassuring smile. He kneels down and manages to pry his arms around Damian’s body to haul him up just as the window rattles and the wind howls once again. 

Damian whines and Tim hushes him gently, wrangling him onto the couch and tightening the capes around him. “See? That’s better, isn’t it?” He asks and runs a hand over a cool cheek and through floppy raven hair. 

“Tis cold,” is the slurred response and Tim winches. Okay he needs to find any spare blankets laying around. Anything that provides any sort of warmth.

“I know, you’ll be nice and warm soon,” Tim tries to reassure, knowing full well he could be lying through his teeth. 

He’s already sent the emergency beacon and his location as soon as he had managed to get Damian out of the lake. The sudden blizzard had caught them off guard and had loosened Damian’s hook on the roof with the strong winds. He had gone straight into the small lake by the houses and went through the ice like a knife cutting through butter. Tim’s glad he had gotten Damian out when he did and had found a place for them to go in such a short time. 

As soon as he stripped Damian of his clothing and had wrapped him in the capes he had noticed the shivering and his reduced circulation. That was the first stage of hypothermia. He had sent his worries to the others just after and focused on keeping Damian as warm as possible. He had to be prepared to keep Damian as warm as possible for the next three hours, maybe even longer if the others couldn’t get here because of the blizzard.

Tim manages to pry his arm away from Damian’s locks and rubs his thumb on his arm as he looks around the room. There’s no immediate items that scream warmth to him and with a sinking gut Tim realises there isn’t anything.

Licking his lips Tim turns back to meet Damian’s drowsy eyes. “I’m just going to move you for a second okay? To cuddle, I know you love that.”

Tim doesn’t know if to be reassured with Damian’s grumble or not. If it was towards the question than yes, but if it was out of discomfort and the temperature than no. He just hopes someone gets here soon.

“Okay, I’m moving you now.” Tim mumbles and climbs onto the couch. It creaks and groans don’t cover Damian’s whine and it breaks his heart. 

At least with a broken bone you could grit your teeth and bare it but what do you do when your own body is failing you? Tim won’t let himself find out. He refuses to.

For four hours Tim manages to keep

Damian coherent and warm enough for the stage two symptoms to reduce back into stage one symptoms. Batman is quick to wrap his cape around Damian but Tim refuses to let go. 

Until Damian is warm and kicking him off and grumbling at him he won’t let go. Because only them will he be reassured that Damian is okay and that he will be fine.

He will be fine.


	17. Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All I want for Christmas is you is playing and it leads to dancing 💃

“What are you guys doing?” Tim asks between laughter, stomach clenching so hard it was nearly painful, at the sight before him.

Stephanie twirls around the Christmas tree with Cassandra, one laughing and the other giggling as they twirl and spin. “Dancing of course!”

“I can see that!” Tim laughs again, turning his gaze to Dick who was forcing Jason into doing the tango with him. It was funny watching the tall boys with long limbs flail around in a half dance and half struggle. 

He walks the rest of the way into the lounge room and curls up next to Barbara on the couch. He rests his head on her shoulder as she hums to the song beating around the room and the not very harmonised dancing that went along with it.

“I don’t want a lot for Christmas,” she murmurs and Tim smiles and sings along gently to the song that was basically tradition to play during December.

“There is just one thing I need,” Tim jumps in and Barbara grins, clicking onto her laptop and bringing up the security footage of the lounge room. 

They share a grin and Barbara sends the footage frequency to her own personal drive with a mumble of a promise to send it to him later. 

Tim smirks, sends a peace sign to the hidden camera just as Duke walks in with a completely confused expression drawn onto his face. He blinks at the two pairs dancing, watching as Cass and Steph spun around the tree and Dick ‘wrestle’ with Jason to dance with him.

“Come over here, Duke!” Barbara calls out, waving her hand towards him and to the couch, a ‘come here’ motion.

Duke quickly walks over to them, dodging Jason’s long leg that kicked out far too dramatically. Tim snickers when Duke practically dives onto the couch and into his side with a grunt.

Barbara chuckles and twists the laptop to show him on what they were doing. Duke sends a thumbs up and manages to duck under Stephanie’s sock that somehow came flying off with a scary amount of force. All of them hear her distant cackle over the music shortly followed by her obnoxious singing.

“You all good there?” Tim asks, laughing at the flustered expression on his face. He receives a betrayed frown in return. 

“I nearly got beheaded by a sock and Jason’s freakishly long leg, but other than that I’m all good.” Duke deadpans and Tim snorts and hides his face in Barbara side to hide his giggles. 

Barbara laughs and controls one of the cameras towards them. This scene had so much potential, who wouldn’t film it? “How did you nearly get beheaded by a sock?”

Duke gives her a flat looks and Tim looses it all over again. Maybe someone drugged his drink. He wouldn’t put it passed them.

“This is Stephanie we’re talking about. She made jelly turn to rock with how hard it went. Why wouldn’t I be scared of a projectile sock that came from her specifically?” Duke says flatly, without a hint of emotion crossing his face.

As Tim looses it Barbara bites her lip to stop her own laughter bubbling up. “Yeah, that’s a good point.”

Duke nods his head like he’s just decided something very important and sloths onto Tim’s other side. They make an odd little sandwich as they watch their siblings switch dancing partners with little grace.

Dick swirls until Stephanie catches him in her arms and bows him dramatically, Dick playing his part perfectly. They stay serious for about two seconds before bursting into laughter, Stephanie pulling him up to continue spinning around the Christmas tree. 

Jason doesn’t fight Cass at all as they do the tango. It’s freakishly hypnotic as they waltz around the room, smiling and laughing as they dance and move.

Tim smiles and snuggles into Barbara’s side even more, carful not to jostle Duke too much. 

“I just want you for my own,” He whispers, gazing at his siblings goofing off and watching them have fun. It was nice. “More than you could ever know.”

As the next verse begins Damian walks in with Bruce. Damian’s expressions is priceless and Barbara’s shoulder shifts as she faces the camera towards them. 

Bruce’s chuckle is deep and warm as he watches half his kids dance and the other half watch and film them sleepily. 

“Well son? How about we show them who the better dancers are?” Bruce asks and Tim grins into Barbara shoulder as Duke snickers into his stomach. This should be a television series. 

Damian nods determinedly and Bruce takes his hands and they begin waltzing around the whole room. They purposely bump hips with Dick and Stephanie when they pass them and they smile back with a viscousness that has them grinning.

They continue past them and right through Cass and Jason who give them bewildered gazes. They eye each other as Bruce and Damian continue around the room with the camera following their movements. 

“Oh, it’s on old man.” Jason warns, grasping Cass’ hands into his own. 

“Dance competition!” Stephanie shouts and Dick grins widely. Cass gets that small competitive smile on her face and everyone knows it’s about to go down.

“You better send this to me later,” Tim whispers to Barbara who nods as Duke pipes in with a ‘me too.’

“Consider it your Christmas present.”


	18. Wrapping Paper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping presents leads to pillow fights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is stupid and I apologise

“Why are you wrapping it like that?” Tim asks, eyeing the gift with amusement. Nope, you definitely don’t know what that is at all. Well, to be honest, the gift owner most probably won’t.

“Because I can,” Jason declares, sticking the last piece of wrapping paper down. The glittery Wonder Woman wrapping paper was shaped as a chicken.

Tim shakes his head and Damian stares in disgust and a little bit impressed. It was shaped exactly like the squeaky toy Damian had gotten for Titus. 

“He’s going to be terrified of it,” Dick declares, eyeing the squeaky chickens eyes that Jason had drawn on it. Why did that look so good and yet so terrifying at the same time?

Jason shrugs, not looking a tad bit bothered at all. “It’s gonna be Damian’s fault, he’s the one who decided to give the most scaredy cat of a dog a screaming chicken for Christmas.”

Stephanie flops back onto Tim’s bed, crushing wrapping paper and narrowly avoiding scissors. “That’s the best sentence I’ve ever heard.”

“Buy a dictionary,” Damian grumbles with a pout. He clearly didn’t like being targeted about buying Titus something he wasn’t going to like. 

Tim snorts quietly as Dick spit takes his hot chocolate in shock. He splutters and stares at his drink spit before blinking at Damian. Jason looks way too proud. 

Stephanie wheezes loudly. “That’s fair,” she manages to get out and Damian gives the bed a pointed look. 

“Well,” Tim shrugs, plopping the gift in their steadily growing pile, “at least she admits her flaws.”

It’s Jason’s turn to snort and Dick’s turn to wheeze out a scolding ‘Timothy!’ Damian nods and pulls the box full of boxes towards him to wrap. 

“Is it roasting Stephanie day?” Come the retort from the top of Tim’s bed. How did she get his bead and he got the floor? How did they even end up doing this in Tim’s room of all places?

“It’s always roasting Stephanie day,” Jason declares, folding his hands behind his head and leaning back on the floor. They’ve lost another one. 

Damian nods rather seriously at that statement and Tim and Dick send a look full of exasperation and amusement towards each other. 

“Rude,” Stephanie declares from the bed and Jason pulls Damian to him to cover his eyes with his whole arm. As Damian struggles, Jason flips Stephanie off with a grin. “Oh no you didn’t.”

With that declaration a pillow is ditched over the bed and Tim watches as it nails Damian after he just managed to free himself from Jason’s smelly armpit. It’s silent before Damian’s jumping up with the pillow and throwing it right back.

Pillows fly back and forth as Tim just stares blankly at the Wonder Woman screaming chicken. The golden sparkles shimmer right back at him. 

Why does this always happen to him?


	19. Ice Skating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family goes ice skating and some are better at it then others

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a mixture of fluff and humour plus family bonding times!

“This is a bad idea, this is a bad idea,” Duke chants and Dick grins, skating back slowly with his hands hovering near Duke in case he falls.

Tim chuckles from behind them, skating slowly behind Duke in encouragement. Damian clung to the back of his shirt as he did, refusing to hold his hands to help himself learn to skate. Instead he clung to Tim’s black hoodie as he’s moved slowly forwards. Despite his protests Tim keeps a steady hand over Damian’s clenched fists for comfort.

“It was Jason’s and Stephanie’s idea, so I’m not surprised.” Tim tells him conversationally, moving to skate next to them slowly. It seems Duke was getting there slowly. He wasn’t trembling as much as before and he was looking steadier on the ice.

Duke nods with a wonky smile and Dick grins, tilting his head towards Jason’s and Stephanie’s yells from a cross the rink. Damian snickers from behind Tim, stumbling into his back at the action. Tim still and let’s Damian get his balance again.

“I heard that!” Jason shouts and Tim smirks, saluting him.

“That’s the point!” He calls back and Dick laughs, skating away from Duke who hasn’t even realised he’s skating by himself he’s too busy watching them.

“Excuse you, this is the best idea I’ve ever had!” Stephanie points out, spinning in circles with her arms opened wide. 

“That isn’t something to be proud of,” Tim replies flatly and Damian is snorting into the back of his hoodie again. 

Dick cackles as he twirls into Cass’ arms while she grins. They twirl away on the ice as Jason flips Tim off. Tim simply smirks back, waiting for it.

“Someone hit Jason for me.” Bruce says from the bench. Tim snickers and Duke splutters from somewhere behind him.

“On it!” Stephanie calls back, skating behind Jason and smacking him in the back of the head. Everyone laughs when Jason goes down with a shout and laugh even harder when Stephanie is pulled down with him. 

Bruce’s chuckle reaches all of them as they skate, or, attempt to skate. “Thank you Stephanie, you might be the next Alfred.”

“I hope not.” Damian mutters and Tim pats his hand over the slowly loosening fist in his hoodie. 

“That I can agree with,” Tim hums before prying Damian’s hands from his hoodie. As he squawks his protest Tim manages to turn around and hold onto his hands properly. “Come on, it’s your turn to learn to skate.”

Damian doesn’t even manage to send him a full on frown, quickly snapping his head down to look at his feet, only increasing the shakiness of his knees and legs. 

Tim shakes his head. “Nope, look at me.” He instructs and Damian does that, legs loosing the shake just a tad. “See you’re getting it! You’ll be able to skate at the end of this, just like Duke is!”

“Wait what?!” Echoes around the podium and everyone looks at Duke just in time to his shocked expression.

He stares at the empty space before him and next to him with wide eyes, gaze snapping down to his feet. His mouth drops open and he lets out a cheer. “I’m skating!” 

Tim winches in sympathy as his celebrating brother crashes in the process. Jason laughs and Damian smiles as the man gets tangled in his own limbs and his but freezes on the ice.

Chuckling Cass and Stephanie glide towards him, each take and arm and help to heave him up. They copy Tim’s and Damian’s position, skating backwards while holding onto his hands to steady him.

“Okay bad example,” Tim whispers jokingly and Damian gives him a flat look. Tim hides a smile as he picks up the pace and Damian does the same without even realising. “But you’ll get it and you can rub it in Jason’s face.”

“I am sore,” Jason calls from the edge of the rink, “I’m pretty sure I’ve got a concussion and my elbow hurts. If Damian skates and rubs it in my face that will top my day off.”

Tim smirks and Dick grins and shares a look with Bruce. Jason’s way of encouragement was different but it never failed to work and this time is no different.

Damian’s posture straightens and by the sheer force of will he manages to stop the shaking in his legs. He stares at Tim with determination shining in his eyes and Tim grins right on back. “Teach me how to skate!”

“Let’s pick up the pace then!”


	20. Christmas Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bats go Christmas light spotting before control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

“Look at that one!” Dick cheers, winding down the window and pointing at the decorated house, nearly whacking Duke in the face in the process.

“Pretty,” Cass agrees, leaning into Tim’s side to peer out the left window. Tim nods his agreement and silently wonders how he ended up in the middle.

Damian simply hums, judging the lights and the structure of the decorations. “Could be better.” He says simply, leaning back.

Tim snorts and Dick groans loudly. “Nothing pleases you does it? All the lights are so pretty!” He whines and slumps on the wheel. 

Cass reaches over and pats his shoulder, poking his after a while to get him driving again. As Dick switches gears Duke manages to sneak a photo before the car is driving away.

“You just don’t like it because you didn’t get any candy canes this time,” Tim replies and isn’t all that surprised when a elbow is wedged into his side and a pout is directed at him.

Duke and Dick laugh from the front and Cass reaches over to ruffle Damian’s hair. He doesn’t even bother to shoo her away, but he does ‘attempt’ to lean away from her.

“That is not true!” Damian huffs, crossing his arms and turning away. Tim can still see some red candy smeared on the side of his lip. “That person just hadn’t decorated the house properly! He had the slay but he didn’t even have all the reindeers!”

Tim hums gently, maybe just a little bit teasingly. “A true crime.” He agrees and Damian nods gruffly. Tim laughs behind his hand as Cass sends them both a smile.

“Kids these days,” Dick sighs dramatically and Duke is the one to snort this time. Maybe Bruce should’ve been Pigman and they could’ve been piglets. 

Tim makes sure Dick sees the unimpressed look on his face. “That must mean you’re an old man. Only the elderly say things like that.”

Duke cackles and Dick sends him a frown through the rear view mirror. Tim regrets everything when he witnesses the frown turn into a smirk.

“I must be a sexy elder then because look at me! I’m sexy,” he purrs and Tim groans, throwing his head back onto the headrest. 

Damian face screws up and he shakes his head, sticking out his tongue in disgust. “That is disgusting! You’re acting like Todd.”

“That is very insulting and I applaud you Dames,” Duke says from the front seat, sending a grin at Dick’s betrayed look. 

“Of course, I learn from the best,” Damian smirks and Tim chuckles, nudging him slightly. It seems all their insulting and fights from before came to good use. 

Cass just shakes her head at them in amusement, eyes lighting up when spotting a house coated in lights.

“There?” She asks, pointing to the street across from them. Dick takes a quick look and grins.

“You’ve got a good eye Cass! Let’s just hope there’s candy there for the little candy sucker in the back,” Dick agrees and teasing.

“Hey!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what my family does and I thought the bats would most likely do it to. For bonding of course.


	21. Singing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian has a Christmas play in the theatre.

“I can’t believe Bruce isn’t coming,” Jason’s whisper is a low hiss, not wishing to disturb the other guests. 

Cass reaches over and takes his hand to put in his lap. She runs her thumb over his knuckles as she stares up at the darkened stage. 

“It is hard,” she says simply, tilting her head in a shrug. Her posture was slightly stiff, disappointed in Bruce but not surprised.

“It’s hard for Damian too,” Tim murmurs from beside them, leaning against Cass’ side as much as the seat rests would allow.

Jason nods fiercely from his side view and his right hand grips the armrest a little tightly. Tim nudges Cass softly and she nods, reaching over and bringing that hand on top of her lap as well.

“Yes,” Cass agrees with a soft nod. Her lips twitched in thought for the right words. Tim and Jason waited patiently. “But, he d-didn’t know them?”

“Maybe not personally,” Tim agrees quietly, gazing at the red drawn down curtains. There was barley stifled shuffling behind it. It seems they would be ready soon. “But he knew the importance of it and yet he was willing to go.”

Cass hums softly, playing with Jason’s fingers distractedly. “I just can’t believe it’s only us three here.” Jason mutters, expression darkening slightly.

Tim sighs quietly and nods his head. “You know Dick, he doesn’t want to get on Bruce’s bad side. Not after all their fighting a couple of years ago.”

“No reason,” Cass mumbles softly, bowing her head. Tim smiles sadly, leaning over to hug her slightly.

“No excuse,” Jason corrects her gently. Cass looks up and nods, smiling at him softly. “But yeah it really isn’t. He should be here, maybe even more than Bruce.”

Tim nods shortly, pulling back from the hug but continuing to lean into Cass’ side. She let’s go of Jason’s hands to pull his into her lap as well, fiddling with his fingers as well as Jason’s.

“Steph is on vacation,” Tim says and all of them know he means mission. “And there was no ramp to get Bab’s here safely. We all know she’s watching it though.” In other words she was watching from the security cameras, no doubt recording it for them and Stephanie.

Jason huffs and rolls his neck, groaning as it cracks. The person behind them shushes him and Jason grumbles a sweat back at him, ignoring the offended gasp. 

“I wish Duke understood he didn’t have boundaries he had to follow,” Jason murmurs and Tim nods.

Cass sighs and shrugs softly. “Nothing to do. Be here for him and clap. Good per-performer.” She whispers and Tim smiles.

“He sure is.” Tim agrees and Jason nods. They have all heard Damian singing in the back yard, he didn’t know that of course.

Jason snorts and waves away the annoyed muttering aimed at his back. “No idea where he got that from. Bruce sure as heck doesn’t have any musical talent and I doubt Talia does.”

“He must get it from Ras and his dramatics,” Tim says and Jason snickers and Cass smiles. “Him and his flowing robe and his manicured fingers.”

Jason full on laughs and Tim elbows him in the stomach when nearly everyone in the room hushes them angrily. Tim hushes him and Jason flips him off until Cass threatens to bend his finger back.

“I’m never gonna’ get that outta my head now. Thanks Timbers,’” Jason grumbles at him and Tim smiles sweetly back.

“Hush,” Cass tells them, pulling their fingers back enough for them to ache slightly. “Starting,” she continues and they quieten instantly.

The red curtain creaks as it’s pulled up and the audience clap politely. They clap louder when they spot Damian and smile at him in encouragement. He sends a small one back.

Two hours later and Damian’s brilliant solo of singing and dancing, they’re greeting him with hugs are messing up his combed hair. 

“You did great kid,” Jason says, pulling Damian under his arm and dragging him to the car.

“You really did,” Tim agrees and watches as Damian struggles against Jason’s arm. Jason finally relents and Damian comes out gasping with red cheeks and a cute glare and pout on his face.

Cass reaches out and tucks him under her arm, hugging him slightly with a warm smile. Jason snickers and ruffles his hair again as Tim rolls his eyes.

“Thanks,” Damian murmurs before huffing loudly, “it would’ve been better if we didn’t have to do silly kid Christmas carols,”

“How’d ya know it was kid Christmas carols,” Jason asks, clicking the car open.

Cass slides into the front and Tim squeezes into the back with Damian.

“It was stupid and childlike,” Damian deadpans and Tim snorts, bumping his side slightly. 

Jason blinks at him from the rear view mirror before shrugging and turning the key. “That’s fair I guess,”

“Did good,” Cass says again, turning around and eyeing Damian. Daring him to challenge otherwise.

Damian’s cheeks heat up and Tim chuckles as he ducks his head in an attempt to hide it. Cass stares for a second longer before nodding once and turning back in the seat properly.

“Hey maybe one day we could do a collab,” Jason hums and Tim grins. “We can take turns at singing and I can teach ya the violin if you wanna know,”

“I can teach you the piano and the guitar,” Tim tells him, smiling at his flushed face. 

“Really?” He asks and Tim and Jason share a smile through the rear view mirror.

“Of course,” Tim says as Jason says a crude ‘heck yeah!’ Damian smiles brightly either way. 

“Me watch,” Cass promises and they all share a smile. Maybe one day they’ll make a band or just do music together.

Now that would be quite nice.


	22. Gatherings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the mayor has decided to ask the hero’s to come for a gathering. The Signal and Robin are way to awkward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s short because I don’t have much time to write today but I wanted to do something! And I also wanted Damian and Duke being awkward together

“Why do we have to be here?” Robin grumbles, crossing his arms and glaring at the league members. 

“It’s a Christmas gathering,” The Signal answers, shifting on his feet awkwardly. He glances around the room, shifting the weight of his feet and playing with his suit.

Robin snorts, eyeing the chuckling members drily. “It’s stupid,” he declares watching as Nightwing talks to about ten people at once. How is that even possible?

“Um,” Signal coughs behind his mask and rubs his arm awkwardly. “It is a bit,” he agrees.

He honestly felt like he was in school. Everyone with their own little groups and not wanting to venture out of them. By default that meant robin and him were by themselves. He’s pretty sure that’s a good thing but it still kind of sucked.

“I don’t like it here,” Robin mumbles and the Signal nods, shifting over so their sides were pressed together comfortably. Robin leans into him and stares around the room.

“Me either,” he admits and Robin shifts closer, flinching at Flash’s particularly loud and fake laugh. 

“I don’t get it,” Robin mumbles quietly, eyeing Superman critically. “Why is everyone here when they clearly want to be with their families?”

“I think,” Signal begins, licking his lips. “I think even Super hero’s has social status’s they need to fill out.”

Robin hums drily, looming at all the civilians fawning over the hero’s. It wasn’t required of them being here but it was expected. They were out saving them all the time so why can’t they more time entertaining the richer civilians?

Fake talk and laughs echo around them and the Signal winds his arm around Robin’s shoulder to bring him to his side even tighter. 

They can see Batman’s frown and Red Robin’s strained smile. Black Bat hides behind Batgirl, expression pinched as she studies the people around her. 

“Oi you two,” Hood greets, bumping Signal’s shoulder as he comes to stand next to him. Signal hums and Robin peeks around him to look up at their tall older brother.

“Yeah,” Signal greets and asks at the same time, smiling awkwardly when making eye contact with a business man. The man frowns and Duke winches underneath the gear.

“We’re getting out of here,” Hood says simply and Signal stares at him. Even Robin blinks. “What? It’s freakin’ three days til’ Christmas and they expect us to listen to their ridicule. We have stuff to do.”

Signal stares before smiling, nodding his head. Robin nods too and Hood passes them grabble guns and coordinates to the car. It seems Bruce had planned ahead and Alfred was here to collect them from this place.

“Go on, I’ll get the others,” Hood says, craning his neck in Black Bat’s and Batgirls direction. It looked like Batgirl was this close to decking the sleezer looking Black Bat up.

“Okay, see you at home Hood.” Signal mumbles and Hood pats his shoulder and ruffles Robin’s head when he mumbles a grateful ‘thanks.’ As Hood stalks off, hand suspiciously near his gun, Signal ruffles Robin’s hair.

“Let’s get out of here, yeah?”


	23. Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian is scared Christmas is going to disappoint him

“The stars are out tonight,” Damian mumbles as he gazes out the window. 

Tim blinks and peers out the window, the night is dark and clouds cover the moon but Damian was right, the stars were out tonight. They may be in a more reserved area of Gotham but the pollution and everything else also affected the view of the stars over here. 

“They sure are,” he says, gazing out the window. The stars seem to twinkle cheekily in the sky as they play hide and seek behind the clouds. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Tim chuckles softly and shakes his head. It’s been a long time since the stars had shined so brightly and clearly. Christmas really did seem like a miracle at times. Even the simple things were amazing.

Damian sighs and shifts on the window seat, bringing his knees to his chest and tucking his chin between them. Tim watches him for a second, watches how admiring the shining stars turn into something more solemn.

“What’s wrong Dames?” Tim asks, sitting on the edge of the seat carefully. 

Damian shrugs, lifting his shoulders awkwardly in a dismissing gesture. Tim chews on his lips and shifts so he’s leaning on the wall and against the pillows, naked feet buried is pillows and blankets.

“Damian?” Tim asks again, putting a little more force in his question. It’s remarkably soft though because Tim would never want to pull a Janet Drake on him in a quiet situation like this. 

Damian sighs and lifts a hand to rub under his nose and at his eye. He pulls a pillow and puts it on top of his legs and lies his head on it. “It’s nothing important.”

Tim shakes his head at that. He remembers saying that to the maids when he was younger, wishing one of them would push and yet too afraid to tell them the truth. 

“If it’s bothering you,” Tim begins and watches as Damian’s hands tighten around his legs, “then it is important.”

“Mrs Peters says if it isn’t going to bother you ten years down the line then you shouldn’t worry about it.” Damian mutters back, burying his face into the pillow further.

Tim manages to stop his sigh at that. He had her as a teacher and she was amazing honestly but he never agreed with that. Maybe he doesn’t agree with it because he never speaks about his problems now. Sure they were always going to hurt but if it wasn’t a problem in ten years why say anything?

“Damian, she’s an amazing teacher but that isn’t right. You can tell me anything, even if it doesn’t seem important to you. It’s important to me,” Tim says and Damian sighs and nods, chewing at his lip.

“I’m worried,” he admits and Tim tilts his head bit doesn’t say anything. He’ll give Damian time. “Christmas is such a big event, it’s supposed to be amazing,”

When Damian trails of and doesn’t start up again, Tim decides to push forward gently. “But?” 

Damian let’s out a puff of breath, shuffling so he was leaning against the window and his face was hidden. “I’m scared I’m going to be disappointed,”

Tim blinks at that, at a loss for words. How ever did he get that thought? That he would be disappointed in Christmas?

“I’m scared that Christmas is going to be like any other day,” Damian admits softly and Tim makes sure Damian can see that he is listening, that he cares. “I’m scared that crime is going to happen and we’ll have to drop everything again. I’m worried our family won’t be put first like all those other times.”

“Oh Damian,” Tim murmurs, getting up from the seat and manoeuvring so he’s next to Damian and he’s tucked under his arm. “”It won’t be like that, I promise okay?”

Damian releases his knees from his chest, slumping against Tim’s side. “How do you know?” He asks quietly.

Tim hums softly, watching the stars and tubing Damian’s arm gently. “You’ll just have to trust me.”

“For some odd reason,” Damian begins, tucking himself further against Tim, “I do trust you.”

Tim chuckles at that. “That’s rude,” he teases as they both watch the stars.


	24. Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian awaits the ambushing Santa

“Damian what are you doing?” Tim murmurs, scratching at his eyelids and letting out a small yawn. “It’s about- wait, it is midnight.”

Damian stares up at him through glazed eyes and a yawn breaks free from his lips. He scrubs underneath his eyes, the green fabric of his sweater covering his palm and fingers as he does.

“I’m waiting for that man to ambush us, the one you all call ‘Father Christmas,” Damian informs him quite seriously before a yawns cracks his jaw open and the world can see the gums of his mouth. 

Tim chuckles softly, letting himself slide down the wall next to Damian’s left side. When Damian doesn’t complain or shift or even grumble about not needing any help Tim knows he’s past tired and is on the lane of overtired.

“Stephanie’s doing that too,” Tim tells him with a smile. “She even dragged a poor Duke into it as well.” Damian smirks and mumbles about how he was going to do better that them. “But I do wonder why you decided to hide behind the Christmas tree?” Tim tells him, pulling his red sweater down and adjusting it slightly.

“The tree is rather large,” Damian tells him, face flushing pink. At least that’s what Tim could see in the dim lighting of the room. 

He laughs quietly and decides to not point it out and let’s Damian pretend it’s from the soft glow of lights around the tree. They were beautiful in the nighttime. Shining and twining against each other and the many ornaments hanging around. 

They lean against each other as the night goes on, talking quietly and shooing Titus away when he attempts to sit on Damian’s lap. Being denied he huffs and slumps his chin on Tim’s leg, paws resting on his thighs. He’s going to have a dead leg after this.

“I thought you didn’t believe?” Tim observes quietly, not daring to move as Damian’s head rests on his shoulder. He didn’t want to wake Titus either, he was too cute like that.

Damian hums, eyes closing against his will slowly. “It’s not too far fetched,” he murmurs, yawing again and blinking rapidly. It doesn’t get the sleepiness out of his eyes. “There’s magicians and dimensional travellers, why not a fat man in a suit that crosses personal property once a year?”

He can’t help the slight snort at that and chuckles. He’s quick to cover it with his sleeve as to not wake anyone else in the house. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Again,” he adds to be cheeky after his small laughing for has passed.

“Aren’t I always?” Damian retorts sleepily, eyes finally slipping shut. 

Slowly his breathing steadies and his body leans against Tim as he goes into blissful unconsciousness. Tim smiles softly and burrows his nose in Damian’s hair, smiling at the scent of coconut. It seems he’s stolen Bruce’s hair wash again.

If anyone asked, he had every intention of taking Damian to his own room. But when you have a tired boy sleeping against your shoulder and a horse like dog using you as a bed, well, who would want to move?

“Merry Christmas Damian. Maybe next year we can catch Santa,” Tim murmurs tiredly but fondly, finally letting his eyelids slip to a close. 

He goes to sleep with the smell of coconuts in the air and wakes up with the same smell and a soft mattress underneath him.

The other difference is that this time Stephanie is jumping on Tim’s bed and shaking both him and Damian awake, shouting about Christmas. Damian takes chase after the woman, ears pink with embarrassment but a smile painted delicately on his lips. It was quite a sight. One Tim hopes everyone will be able to see more.

“Thank you ‘Santa,’” Tim whispers before he’s pulling himself out of his bed and away from his comforters. It was Christmas after all.

He wonders is Santa was still sleeping like the dead in the next couple of rooms over.


	25. It’s Christmas!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Christmas in the manor and everyone is excited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is long and I hope you guys like it! 
> 
> MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE <3

“Master Bruce, I’d insist that you stop your worrying.” Alfred implies gently, amusement twitching at his lips.

The childlike grown man just huffs in response, running his hand through his hair and sighing deeply. “I’m just worried Alfred, what if they don’t like them? What if they aren’t ready for that responsibility yet?”

Alfred simply shakes his head in amusement as he places the pancakes on the large table. “They’ve run around in skin tight suites for years, I think they understand responsibility and have what it takes.”

“You’re right as always,” Bruce sighs, hand scrubbing at his face. “I just hope they like them.”

“I’m sure they will,” Alfred assures, patting his sons shoulder as he passes. The children, they would always be children to him, won’t be asleep for long. It’s Christmas after all and Alfred is mildly surprised Bruce was up first. His worrying no doubt. “They appreciate whatever you get them, they just don’t know how to show it at times. A lot like you if I do say.”

Bruce chuckles and shakes his head as he places the maple syrup onto the table. “It seems I’ve rubbed off on them more than I thought.”

It’s Alfred’s turn to shake his head with a small laugh. “You are their father, adopted or not. It was bound to happen.”

His smile is small but Alfred could see it from a mile away. That man doesn’t give himself enough credit at times. “I guess you’re right, again.”

“Naturally,” He chides playfully, setting out the utensils and cups. “Someone has to have their head on straight around here.”

A glare is sent his way and Alfred raises a brow at him, smirking slightly. Bruce looses instantly and blows out a long sigh of air. He chooses the dramatics of course. 

There’s creaking upstairs and they share a look. It seems Christmas has finally started. Only when the kids are up and ready is when the day truly begins.

The footsteps thundering down the stairs are louder and quicker than usual and they share another look. The first bet of the day it seems.

“Dick.” Bruce, the fool, states.

“Miss Stephanie.” Alfred says, with a incline of his head. 

“15?” Bruce questions and Alfred nods. It seems by the end of the day he’ll have enough betting money to go on vacation. How lovely that’ll he’ll use it on his kids.

Blonde hair streaked with green, red and white at the ends appears around the walkthrough. Stephanie yawns tiredly, eyes squeezed shut and dressed in loose pyjamas.

“Merry Christmas and good morning Miss Stephanie.” Alfred greets, quickly followed by Bruce. 

“Mornin,’” Stephanie yawns widely, hand covering her mouth. “And Merry Chri- wait! It’s Christmas?!”

Bruce chuckles and Alfred shakes his head. And this is why you don’t stay up until midnight trying to capture ‘Santa.’

“It is indeed,” Alfred replies, laughing at her widened eyes, “how about you go wake up the others and we can have our breakfast?”

Stephanie gapes at the table for a long second before bopping her head hurriedly. She twirls on her fluffy socks, tumbling as she does and races back through the walkway and thunders up the stairs once again.

“It seems you owe me $15,” Alfred says and the groan behind him is loud and clear. This is the so called treated detective hmm? “Sir.”

Bruce chuckles and shakes his head as he takes a seat at the head of the table. “And this is why we only bet on certain days.”

Alfred smirks as yells and shouts echo down the stairs. It’s shortly followed by thundering footfalls as he takes his own seat at the other end. “You would be bankrupt in a week, sir.”

“No doubt about it,” Bruce replies, catching Dick as he launches at him for a hug. 

“Now now young Miss’ and Sirs,”

Alfred chides, eyeing them down to take a seat. They hurriedly do, eyes tired but drawing to the food. “You know the rules, breakfast first and then you can open your cards.”

Alfred smiles at the familiar groans, even Bruce sags in his seat slightly. It may be Christmas but that doesn’t mean he can’t tease them. They deserve it after all the heart attacks they give him weekly.

“However,” he goes on, pretends he doesn’t see all eyes on him, “after breakfast and the cards you have one present you can open.”

Damian perks up, hand quickly backing away from the salt shakers in front of him. “Do we get to pick?”

Stephanie cocks her head and Duke simply yawns, eyes watering. Tim pats his shoulder and Cass watches Alfred and Bruce with critical eyes. 

“Not this time,” Alfred hums, smiling when it doesn’t lessen any of their excitement at all. They were good kids. “But I believe these will be your favourites by far,”

“What is it?” Stephanie asks, bouncing in her seat. Bruce raises a brow at her, reaching over to rest his hand on top of her head to halt the jumping.

“You have too much energy in the morning,” Bruce replies and Jason snorts as Steph grins unashamedly. “Finish your breakfast and you’ll find out.”

“Yes!” Stephanie yells, fist bumping the air. Groans emit from the shout and Alfred raises an eyebrow. With a sheepish grin Stephanie cheers more quietly this time. “Yes..?”

“How are you so awake in the morning?” Duke asks curiously as everyone begins to dig into the food. Jason makes a weird grumble, his own way of asking the same question.

Stephanie shrugs, munching on the French toast with puffed up cheeks like a chipmunk. Alfred shakes his head, he’ll let it pass this once. It is Christmas after all.

“I think she’s overtired,” Tim adds into the conversation. He piles two pancakes onto his plate and pours some lemon and sugar on it. “She’s gone from tired to chipper way too quick.”

Jason snorts and nods, humming and stretching before scooping scrambled eggs and salad onto his plate. “She’s always too chipper, it’s just worse today.”

Stephanie gulps loudly and Bruce raises a brow at her. A sheepish grin is sent back before she’s shrugging. “I would be offended but I’d be a lier if I said it wasn’t true.”

Dick chuckles and Damian smiles behind his cup of juice. Barbara just shakes her head, smiling a small amused smile that she shares with Cass.

“So your father will be coming at diner?” Bruce asks, directing the question at Babs as everyone divides into their own little conversations. 

Barbara nods, sending him a appreciate smile. “Yeah, since he knows about everything now he doesn’t jump to conclusions when I ask to stay here.”

Alfred chuckles at Dick’s rather loud cough as he turns his head away. Barbara just makes it worse by asking Bruce about silly things Dick had done as a child.

“Thanks for the food, Alfred,” Tim says quietly from next to him. Alfred hums his response, smiling at the boy gently.

“Your most welcome master Tim.” Alfred replies just as quietly and Tim sends him a grateful smile. 

“Christmas,” Cass tells them, looking at her smiling family, “is nice.” She says finally, nodding her head. “R- really nice.”

Tim hums and Alfred chuckles. “It is indeed miss Cassandra, it is indeed.”

A near miss of a food fight later and some light scolding Alfred was hounding them all into the main lounge room. The room was bright, the fire crackling and the tree lights flashing, the tinsel glittering at the lights.

Jason let out a low whistle at the presents under the tree while Duke gapes at it slightly bugged eyed. Stephanie jumps and Damian blinks slowly as Tim and Cass sigh and shame their head in fond amusement. Dick just snickers and pushes Barbara forward in her wheelchair.

“Check your stockings, cards and then we’ll bring the gifts out,” Bruce promised, smiling as a small army made a beeline towards the fireplace were the stockings were hanging.

Dick ended up passing them out, ruffling hair and side hugging them as he did. After they were all handed out he picks Titus’ up, letting the grateful dog take the bone in his jaws. He passes Alfred his ball of wool and Jerry some snacks from their own stockings.

“Alfred, Bruce,” Tim calls out and Alfred hums his reply, mouth twitching up when spotting the charcoal haired boy.

“What’s up, chum?” Bruce queries and Tim grins a small smile, holding up nine letters in each hand.

“You know the rules,” Stephanie teases from the floor, candy cane hanging loosely from her lips. “Cards and stockings first!” 

Alfred chuckles and shakes his head, gratefully taking his stack of cards from Tim as Bruce does the same. “I can’t believe I’ve forgotten, how foolish of me.”

“It’s the old age, Alfie.” Jason calls, winking dramatically as the others hides their amusement by slamming their face into something.

“Excuse me, Sir?” He replies drily, a particularly pointed card laying delicately in his fingers and ready to throw.

Coughing awkwardly Jason grins back. “I’m kiddin, I’m kiddin,’ you’re amazin’ Alf and we all know it.”

“That’s what I thought,” Alfred hums and smiles at all the snickers and snorts that gets from the kids spread out across the room. Even Bruce has a smile for all too see on his face.

He opens the cards with care, smiling at all the individual messages. Their kind and sweet, some going on the edge of incredibly cheeky. He didn’t expect anything less, he knew his kids well after all.

“Aww Dami!” Stephanie exclaims and Alfred smiles, watching as she launches herself at him in a tackle hug. 

Damian goes beetroot red, gaze flickering around the room in a desperate attempt to communicate his confusion and the need of help. The other simply read their own letters from in and dogpile the boy to his embarrassment and surprise.

Alfred smiles, shakes his head as Bruce gets up to lay on top of the pile. Groans and laughter are muffled with pained grumbles and Alfred sneaks a picture and wonders how he got so lucky. Oh only if Martha and Thomas were here to see this.

“Alright you children, it’s time for your presents of the morning,” Alfred calls out, clapping his hands and standing up. 

He rolls his eyes in amusement and Bruce refuses to move and the kids have to claw their way out from under each other. Jason gets a nice lick to the face from Titus in the process. 

“Master Bruce you’re being the biggest child here,” Alfred tells him and Bruce shrugs as his children tease him, “Now hurry up and help me sort out the gifts would you?”

“If I must,” Bruce exaggerates getting up and there’s calls of old man as he does. They get a long stare from that and Alfred rolls his eyes fondly.

“Yes you must, you don’t see other elderlies slacking old, do you?” Yes, Alfred does like to be sarcastic at times. He had to have his fun too.

“Burn!” Stephanie and Jason yell, cackling as Bruce slumps in his own pity. 

Barbara is somehow filming it as Cass pats his back from the floor sympathetically. Tim is whispering to Barbara about sending it to him and Alfred would have to ask her for a copy later on. Everyone else is just laughing like a bunch of hyenas. 

“As amusing as that was, I want all of you to close your eyes when I say so.” Alfred informs them, watching as eyes turn curious.

“I didn’t think it was funny,” Bruce grumbles and Alfred pats his shoulder as they go to the next room.

“Of course not sir.” He agrees but doesn’t apologise. Bruce just frowns harder and Alfred can’t help but laugh, it was more of a pout than anything compared to his ‘Batman’ frown.

A few minutes of struggling and fumbling around Bruce is calling to the others from the hallway. “Close your eyes! And no peeking Stephanie!”

“Aww,” she mumbles and Alfred shakes his head fondly. That girl was the cheekiest of them all.

They do a few rounds, silent as a mouse as they place the presents in front of them. Titus is wagging his tail, younger lolling and huffing and Alfred appreciates the noise. The carpet also helps.

“Okay,” Bruce murmurs, backing away slowly. His hand was still wrapped around one particular leash. “You can open your eyes in three, two, one!”

Alfred hopes he’s managed to capture their reactions on the camera. Just as he told Bruce, they would love their gifts and their reactions show just that. They already love their new additions to the family.

Jason has the little three legged puppy in his arms, cradling the yapping pug with a tenderness that has Alfred smiling. The little things tail is wagging happily as he attempts to lick his new owners face.

“Thank you,” Jason whispers softly as Bruce undos the leash of the collar. “Thank you so much Dad, grandpa.”

“You’re most welcome chum,” Bruce replies, ruffling his sons hair and chuckling as the pug yaps at him and slobbers on his hand. “You have any idea what you want to call him?”

Jason’s silent for a second before smiling widely. “Otis.” He declares as the lug in his arms shakes in excitement. 

“That’s a good name,” Bruce says gently and Alfred hums. It really was a good name, wasn’t it?

Laughter reaches their ears and they tune to Dick, who was knocked down on the floor with a little golden retriever jumping on him. His face was flushed and he was laughing as he attempted to push the little thing off his face and onto his lap.

Jason simply laughs instead of helping his brother as he plays with his own pup. Otis shivers in his hole, whining lowly and tail wagging happily. “She looks like a Lucy!”

“Oh my god,” Dick murmurs before spluttering as a tongue runs over his face, “she is definitely a Lucy!” 

“Contain your dog Richard,” Damian says, patting his tortoises she’ll gently. “Leonardo is definitely more calm than your pet.”

“That’s because yours is a tortoise!” Stephanie cries out, smiling widely as she rubs her cheek against her Peruvian fluffy guinea pig. “Dogs are more hyper than them.”

“That is true, Miss Stephanie,”

Alfred says with a bow of his head, smiling at Damian bent over Leonardo protectively. “But I believe the most hyper ones might just be Tim’s pets.”

“Sugar gliders are a handful,” Bruce chuckles and Alfred nods. They had gotten the animals two weeks earlier, getting them comfortable with each other. However that also mean entertaining and looking after the new, rather hyper, additions to the family.

“I’m going to call them Sugar and Spice,” Tim said with a small smile, playing with one in his lap as the other crawled up his arm. “Thank you so much Alfred, Bruce. I love them.”

“Yes,” Cass murmurs and Alfred And Bruce smile softly at her. Her Dutch rabbit was cradled in her arms softly as she played with a soft floppy ear. “L-love Oreo.”

“That’s a good name, Cass.” Barbara says, smiling at her softly. Bruce and Alfred can’t help but agree, sharing smiles with each other. They were good kids and they would take good care of the new family members.

“What are you going to name yours Babs?” Duke asks, his lizard clinging to his shirt as his hand hovers over him protectively. “I’m calling mine Harry, like your a lizard Harry.”

“Oh my god,” Stephanie whispers, eyes bright and Tim gives him a firm approving nod at the name. Duke flushes sheepishly as Jason says something about nerds until Tim calls him out for being a nerd.

“That’s amazing!” Barbara grins, teeth flashing with her smiles as the kitten paws at her lap shakily. “She looks a bit like McGonagal doesn’t she? I think I’m going to call her Minerva,” 

“Those are all very lovely names.” Alfred decided as a whole and everyone smiles at him with varying lengths. 

Bruce chuckles and settles on the couch, scratching a hobbling Otis behind an ear. “He did say the first presents would be the best.”

“And he was right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEAR I LOVE YOU ALL


End file.
